HE  STRENUOUS  LIFE 
SPIRITUAL 


The  STRENUOUS  LIFE  SPIRITUAL 

and 
The  SUBMISSIVE  LIFE 


PROF.  A.  VAX  DER  NAILLEN 

Author,  Scientist  and  Educator 

Chevalier  of  the  Order  of  Leopold  of  Belgium. 


The   Strenuous  Life  Spiritual 

AND 

The  Submissive  Life 

By 

A.  VAN  DER  NAILLEN 


Chevalier  of  the  Order  of  Leopold  of  Belgium 

Member  of  the   California  Academy  of  Sciences 

Charter  Membtr  of  L1  Instttut  General  Psychologique 

of  Parts,  France 


Author  of  "Qn  the  Heights  of  Himalay,"  *'In  the  Santuary.' 
"Balthazar  the  Mugus," 


4 


R.      F.     Fenno     &      Company 

18    EAST    I7th    STREET    ::     NEW    YORK 


CUc^tdi"!00 


Copyright  1912,  By 
R   F.  FENNO  &  COMPANY 


The  Strenuous  Life  Spiritual 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  PAGE 

I    The  Strenuous  Life  Material 9 

II     The  Universe,  Its  Laws,  Its  Destiny,  and  the 

Role  Man  Is  Assigned  To  Play  In  It 24 

III  Our  Duty  Toward  All  Existence 38 

IV  Our  Higher  Self— Discipline  of  the  Lower  Self  46 
V     Fnvironment — Its-  Influence 55 


ERRATA 

THE    STRENUOUS    LIFE    SPIRITUAL 

PAGE  31.  Line  14  should  read:  Labored  to  evolve  the  Divine  in 
1  ir  own  lives  and  in  the  lives  of  all  with  whom,  etc. — See  page  236,  line 
25  of  "Balthazar  the  Magus." 

Page  38.     Line  15  should  read:  "that  is"  instead  of  "this  is." 
Page  92.     End    word    of    line    15    should   read:    transcendental  in- 
stead of  transcontinental  as  printed. 


THE    SUBMISSIVE    LIFE 

Page  54.     End  word  of  line  10  should  read:  rocks  and  not  roofs. 
Page  92.     End   word   of   line    4   should   read :    workings   and    not 
war  kings. 

Pace  hi.     Line  7  should  read:  A 11- Good  and  not  All-God. 


2«.^nS7 


The  STRENUOUS  LIFE  SPIRITUAL 


THE  STRENUOUS  LIFE 
SPIRITUAL 


CHAPTER  I 

THE  STRENUOUS  LIFE  MATERIAL 

The  twentieth  century  is  destined  to  be  a  century 
of  strenuous  work  and  accomplishment.  The  centu- 
ries past  have  been  centuries  of  preparation,  of  de- 
velopment, and  of  the  formation  of  elements.  The 
present  century  has  for  its  special  task  to  gather 
those  elements,  many  seemingly  heterogeneous,  to  as- 
sort them  and  to  assign  them  to  functions  in  the  so- 
cial, civic  and  spiritual  fabric,  where  they  can  work 
in  harmony  with  their  neighbor  elements,  and  be  of 
greatest  service  for  the  betterment  of  man's  material 
welfare  and  spiritual  development. 

Theodore  Roosevelt,  the  first  citizen  of  our  land,* 


♦This  was  first  written  when  Mr.  Roosevelt  was  President 
of  the  United  States.  Our  work  was  interrupted  by  the  great 
holocaust  which  turned  San  Francisco  into  a  heap  of  ruins. 

9 


10.  The  S:renumis  Life  Spiritual 

has  inaugurated  this  forward  movement  of  earnest 
work.  In  his  grand  book,  entitled  "The  Strenuous 
Life,"  he  has  detailed  with  a  masterly  hand,  the 
duties  of  the  citizen.  No  man  could  indicate  in  a  more 
forcible  way,  or  I  should  say  in  a  more  strenuous 
manner,  the  duties  good  citizenship  demands  and 
should  obtain.  The  book  is  a  compendium  of  good 
practical  common  sense  throughout — of  duties  plain- 
ly but  eloquently  set  forth — and  so  convincing  are 
his  arguments  that  no  honest  reader  can  peruse  this 
book  without  feeling  in  his  heart  a  warmth  akin  to 
that  which  the  patriot  feels  when  his  country  is  in 
danger  and  calls  upon  him  for  help.  In  this  case 
the  warmth  goes  toward  good  citizenship,  the  very 
basis  of  patriotism.  The  reader  easily  realizes  that 
on  the  quality  of  citizenship  depends  absolutely  the 
good  or  bad  status  of  the  country  itself,  its  real  worth 
through  good  government,  or  its  degradation  through 
corruption. 

Mr.  Eoosevelt  has  placed  this  alternative  before 
his  readers  in  a  masterly  manner,  with  a  zeal  de- 
rived from  a  deep-rooted  conviction,  and  an  enthusi- 
asm which  only  the  highest  aim  a  noble  soul  and  a 
deep  love  of  country  can  inspire.  ISTo  other  book 
need  be  read — no  treatise  on  moral  and  mental  phil- 
osophy be  consulted — all  is  here  a  grand,  complete, 
but  yet  simple  and  plain  catechism  of  good  and 
noble  citizenship. 

This  is  then  the  first  work  the  twentieth  century 


The  Strenuous  Life  Spiritual  11 

must  undertake,  the  grand  task  which  confronts  us, 
a  supreme  duty  toward  our  country,  an  incessant 
striving  toward  the  accomplishment  of  good  citizen- 
ship. Mr.  Koosevelt  has  laid  the  foundation  and 
planned  the  structure  in  all  its  details.  Let  us,  one 
and  all,  lend  him  a  vigorous  helping  hand,  and  set 
to  work  with  an  unswerving  strenuous  will.  May 
God  be  with  us  all  in  our  task,  bless  our  efforts  and 
bless  him,  Theodore  Koosevelt ! 

The  second  line  of  work  now  outstretching  before 
the  American  citizen,  yes  of  all  lands — facing  every 
man  and  woman — is  the  strenuous  life  spiritual. 
Innumerable  materials  have  been  gathered  for  cen- 
turies past,  in  all  countries,  for  the  accomplishment 
of  this  strenuous  spiritual  life.  Many  of  these  ma- 
terials, however,  are  desperately  heterogeneous,  their 
classification  difficult,  and  to  assign  them  to  a  place 
where  they  may  prove  of  greatest  service  will  re- 
quire faithful  and  unremitting  efforts. 

This  "strenuous  spiritual  life"  the  twentieth  cen- 
tury must  inaugurate  in  all  earnestness,  and  as  we 
have  determined  upon  citizen  Roosevelt's  suggestion, 
to  make  strenuous  efforts  to  become  good  citizens 
in  the  life  material  by  truthfully  fulfilling  all  our 
civil  obligations  and  moral  duties  toward  the  coun- 
try and  toward  one  another  so  must  we  make  strenu- 
ous efforts  to  attain  to  high  citizenship  in  the  life 
spiritual.  The  two  lives  or  worlds  are,  however,  -so 
closely  interwoven,  that  good  citizenship  in  the  one^ 


12  The  Strenuous  Life  Spiritual 

especially  in  the  higher  one,  leads  directly  to  good 
citizenship  in  the  other,  or  in  the  one  below. 

Mr.  Roosevelt  writes:  "I  wish  to  preach  not  the 
doctrine  of  ignoble  ease  but  the  doctrine  of  the  stren- 
uous life,  the  life  of  toil  and  effort,  of  labor  and 
strife;  to  preach  that  highest  form  of  success  which 
comes,  not  to  the  man  who  desires  mere  easy  peace, 
but  to  the  man  who  does  not  shrink  from  danger, 
from  hardship,  or  from  bitter  toil,  and  who  out  of 
these  wins  the  splendid  ultimate  triumph. 

"A  life  of  slothful  ease,  a  life  of  that  peace  which 
springs  merely  from  lack,  either  of  desire  or  of 
power  to  strive  after  great  things,  is  as  little  worthy 
of  a  nation  as  of  an  individual." 

If  the  above  emphatic  statement  is  true  of  the  life 
material,  how  much  more  is  it  true  of  the  life  spirit- 
ual, the  life  of  paramount  importance. 

The  spiritual  life  of  slothful  ease  is  met  with 
everywhere ;  it  is  all  around  us.  The  faithful  church- 
goer attends  regular  services  on  Sunday,  reads  regu- 
lation prayers  in  a  regulation  prayer  book,  joins  in 
hymns  sung  out  of  a  regulation  hymn  book,  listens 
kindly  to  a  sermon  confined  within  the  regulation 
limits  of  each  particular  creed,  goes  home,  and  his 
spiritual  endeavors  have  terminated  for  the  week. 
The  spiritual  life  of  this  goodly  church  member  is  a 
life  of  spiritual  peace,  undoubtedly;  but  it  is  also  a 
life  of  slothful  spiritual  ease,  lacking  both  in  desire 


The  Strenuous  Life  Spiritual  13 

and  in  the  power  to  strive  after  greater  spiritual 
achievement. 

The  soul  of  this  good  man  sleeps  in  a  slothful 
dolce  far  niente,  while  his  material  life,  very  likely, 
continues  its  strenuous  efforts  to  gather  unto  him- 
self riches  and  means  of  which  he  is  in  no  need. 
This  goodly  churchman,  although  his  lips  may,  on 
Sunday,  pronounce  His  name  in  a  feeble,  automatic 
invocation,  ais  as  little  worthy"  of  God  as  he  is  of 
himself  spiritually  speaking.  This  man  may,  how- 
ever, be  an  exemplary  good  citizen  in  the  material 
life. 

!Next  comes  the  class  of  unbelievers.  Their  awak- 
ening intellects,  forced  by  continual  practical  ob- 
servations in  every-day  life,  have  caused  them  to 
grow  above  the  stereotyped  exactions  of  the  common 
creeds,  and  to  discard  their  cold  dogmas  which  no 
longer  command  either  their  respect  or  sympathy. 
These  unbelievers  often  enclose  themselves  in  the 
strait- jacket  of  stern  moral  ethics,  which  they  en- 
deavor to  find  sufficient  to  guide  their  daily  actions ; 
and  indeed,  they  very  often  constitute  a  class  of  ex- 
cellent men,  performing  faithfully  the  duties  of 
wordly  citizenship.  Their  lives  are,  however,  cold, 
without  sunshine,  deprived  of  high  ideals,  and  con- 
sequently they  lack  either  the  desire  or  the  power 
to  lift  themselves  above  the  common  atmosphere 
of  the  earth ;  hence,  they  remain  intensely  material. 
They  are  spiritually  dead. 


14  The  Strenuous  JLife  Spiritual 

The  higher  intellectual  classes  come  next  in  the 
evolutionary  series.  It  is  useless  to  try  to  conceal 
the  fact  that  these  classes  are  laboring  under  the 
pang  of  an  invincible  spiritual  disappointment.  For 
them  the  past  with  its  illusory  beliefs  is  fleeting  fast 
into  oblivion.  Our  new  acquisitions  in  the  moral,  in- 
tellectual, philosophical  and  scientific  fields,  have 
made  havoc  of  the  creeds  which  for  many  centuries 
have  given  satisfaction,  hence  peace  of  soul,  to  our 
ancestors. 

The  mind  of  the  modern  intellectual  man,  ever 
active,  has  become  relentless  in  its  search  after  the 
"whence,  why  and  whither"  of  existence,  the  grand- 
est problem  now  agitating  humanity.  Naturally 
enough,  psychological  science  has  been  applied  to 
for  help,  in  solving  this  momentous  riddle,  and  this 
science  has  now  certainly  become  the  absorbing  sub- 
ject of  contemporaneous  thought. 

Our  increasing  sensibility;  our  ever-developing 
faculty  to  sense,  to  perceive,  to  apprehend  through 
the  intellect,  or  through  some  higher  attribute,  is 
growing  every  day  more  complex,  as  M.  Baie,*  a 


*At  the  time  I  was  writing  this  essay,  over  a  half  dozen 
years  ago,  a  copy  of  a  Belgian  evening  paper,  "Le  Soir,"  came 
to  my  notice.  I  perused  therein  the  literary  review  of  a  book 
the  title  of  which  I  forgot.  Soon  I  became  interested  in  the 
reading,  as  it  described  in  a  masterly  manner,  the  psycho- 
logical conditions  obtaining  then,  and  yet  to-day,  in  the  world 
of  advanced  thought.  I  took  several  notes  of  the  ideas  put 
forth  therein,  but  these  notes  have  been  lost  during  the  change 
and  confusion  which  accompanied  the  earthquake  and   fire 


The  Strenuous  Life  Spiritual  15 

Belgian  literary  critic  so  truthfully  and  eloquently 
relates,  and  is  rendered  more  acute  by  the  vast  knowl- 
edge we  possess  in  the  multiple  branches  of  human 
attainments.  These  latter  constitute  reservoirs  into 
the  depths  of  which  the  mind  may  delve  at  will,  as 
it  endeavors  to  discover  a  rational  basis  for  the  ideals 
it  never  ceases  to  create. 

Psychological  research  and  analysis  are  prone  to 
give  rise  to  vistas  of  infinite  possibilities,  to  fore- 
bodings, and  deep-seated  presentiments  which  ex- 
tend this  faculty  to  sense  into  the  invisible,  into  the 
mysterious  worlds.  The  very  depths  of  long  past 
civilizations  are  questioned  in  zealous  efforts  to  ex- 
tort from  them  the  secret  of  their  undeniable  great- 
ness, and  of  the  mysterious  powers  wielded  by  their 
sacerdotal  hierarchies. 

We  would  fain  possess  titanic  arms,  and  in  a  gi- 
gantic embrace  rescue  humanity  from  the  materialis- 
tic quagmire  in  which  the  majority  of  men  wallow, 
and  place  it  at  once  upon  the  pedestal  of  happiness 
and  enlightenment. 

We  vibrate  ever,  like  the  cells  of  a  prodigious 
brain,  the  custodian  of  many  centuries  of  culture,  of 
suffering,  of  stupendous  dreams.  Never  sated  in 
our  limitless  outreachings,  we  feel  a  thrill  of  happi- 


which  destroyed  the  city  of  San  Francisco.  I  am  thus  con- 
fined to  crediting  M.  Baie  with  a  fine  comprehension  and 
thorough  analysis  of  the  dangers  and  also  of  the  beauties  af- 
forded by  psychological  science. 


16  The  Strenuous  Life  Spiritual 

ness  in  our  perpetual  soarings  after  the  unattaina- 
ble; unafraid  and  hopeful,  the  mind  delves  into  the 
abyss  of  the  unfathomable;  we  delight  in  the  dizzi- 
ness of  our  endeavor  to  grasp  the  great  unknowable, 
and  still  hope  against  hope  while  contemplating  with 
an  eagle  mind  the  vastness  of  the  realm  over  which 
these  elusive  fairies  of  the  intellect  reign  supreme. 

These  desperate  efforts,  however  praiseworthy 
they  may  be,  conceal  a  danger,  the  danger  of  ex- 
hausting the  resources  of  an  energy  however  immeas- 
urable it  may  appear,  and  of  a  sensibility  which  may 
become  morbid  through  very  acuteness. 

Moreover,  these  violent  desires  to  know,  dispro- 
portioned  to  the  means  of  satisfying  them,  impress 
upon  the  soul  certain  scars,  deformation  perhaps, 
which  render  the  mind  incapable  of  any  action,  or 
continued  effort  at  action,  thereby  paralyzing  any 
attempt  at  the  realization  of  its  giant  dreams,  those 
poems  endowed  with  a  supreme  energy,  but  which  a 
positive  personal  character  and  a  strenuous  deter- 
mination alone  can  chisel  or  mould  into  shape  or  use- 
fulness. 

In  this  particular  disposition  of  mind  the  will,  in- 
stead of  forming  into  homogeneous  groups  ideas  be- 
gotten by  logical  deductions,  often  accomodates  it- 
self with  themes  picked  up  at  random,  furnished 
merely  by  circumstances  or  passing  suggestions. 
The  will,  then,  may  lose  itself  in  capricious  crea- 
tions of  its  own,  in  thoughts  replete  with  vague  no- 


The  Strenuous  Life  Spiritual  lY 

tions,  in  memories  of  fleeting  forms,  which  lead  in 
the  end  to  vertigo,  the  vertigo,  it  is  true,  of  a  grand 
and  sublime  reverie. 

"Fiery  steeds  of  thought,"  says  Selestor  in  "The 
Scribe  of  a  Soul,"  by  Clara  Iza  Price,  "have  brought 
man  to  that  realm  where  stoppeth  all  investigation; 
yet  the  mind  is  supple  in  its  leaps  as  a  hungry  tiger, 
and  stoppeth  not  at  barriers,  but  beateth  against  bars 
and  breaketh  the  bonds  down. 

"Such  is  the  symbol  of  the  great  motive  power  in 
man,  which  goeth  on  and  on  and  ceaseth  never,  but 
buildeth  and  rebuildeth,  and  thus  souls  are  wrought." 
Yes,  and  thus  souls  are  wrought.     If  the  soul  labor- 
ing under  the  vertigo  of  a  grand  and  sublime  reverie, 
has  arrived  at  those  dizzy  heights  by  mere  intellec- 
tuality, has  had  no  other  aim  than  to  gain  mental 
knowledge,  no  other  motive  power  than  the  one  fur- 
nished by  the  brain  and  the  desire  to  learn  the  secrets 
of   the    psychic   world — and    perhaps    through   this 
knowledge  enhance  its  own  personality — then  disap- 
pointment is  sure  to  follow.   In  the  inaptitude  of  con- 
ciliating the  laws  of  the  world  with  its  ever-expand- 
ing inclinations,  the  weakness  of  the  poor  soul  will 
only  become  too  apparent.     "Its  hopes,  however," 
continues  M.  Baie,  "never  lessen;  they  increase  in 
proportion  to  the  very  hopelessness  of  the  realiza- 
*:     !  of  its  dreams." 

^e  can  easily  surmise  the  depth  of  a  sentiment 
.us  originated,  and  how  much  it  is  disposed  to 


18  The  Strenuous  Life  Spiritual 

feel  the  crying  insufficiency  of  our  social  laws  and 
reforms.  The  early  ushering  into  the  intellectual 
life,  the  excitation  of  the  brain,  the  abundance  of 
refined  ideas,  and  of  ambiguous  dreams,  have,  for  a 
long  time,  filled  the  soul  with  immoderate  desires, 
which  unfortunately  must  fall  at  the  threshold  of 
the  real. 

Unable  to  find  happiness  at  the  end,  the  poor 
dear  soul  gets  unnerved  through  perpetual  tension, 
fruitless  in  its  results,  and  finally  may  settle  down 
in  a  cold  skepticism,  deprived  of  all  energy  or  in- 
clination to  continue  the  struggle.  This  mental  state 
is  the  most  depressing  as  it  is  superinduced  by  a  long 
series  of  disappointments.  This  soul,  after  many 
years  of  ardent  study  and  intellectual  effort,  has 
landed,  perhaps,  on  the  shore  of  reality  a  pitiful 
spiritual  wreck.  It  then  styles  psychology  a  sad  and 
disappointing  science  and  may  bury  itself  finally  in 
absolute  incredulity,  the  lamentable  result  of  long 
ill-controlled,  misdirected  hyper-sensibility.  This  is 
one  of  the  sad  results  to  which  the  study  of  psycholo- 
gical science  may  lead. 

The  majority  of  those  students  who  delve  into  the 
mysteries  of  that  science  are  endowed  with  a  nature 
more  or  less  emotional,  and  their  endeavors  mainly 
center  in  trying  to  discover  laws,  or  ways  and  means, 
by  the  aid  of  which  they  may  attain  certain  psychic 
powers  and  thereby  place  their  personality  upon 


The  Strenuous  Life  Spiritual  19 

some  high  pedestal  of  more  or  less  material  useful- 
ness. 

Generally,  however,  and  it  is  consoling  that  it  is 
so,  the  sensibility  of  the  investigator  or  student  of 
psychical  science  gradually  spiritualizes  itself  as  it 
ascends  the  summits  of  abstraction.  But  there  also 
lurks  a  danger,  the  soul  may  be  absorbed  and  lost  in 
those  transcendental  dreamings  with  which  it  identi- 
fies itself,  for  our  new  acquisitions,  alluded  to  before, 
in  the  moral,  intellectual,  philosophical  and  scien- 
tific worlds,  are  reluctant  to  substitute  a  new  creed 
for  the  one  from  which  their  revelations  have  just 
released  us.  Furthermore,  science  itself  seems  in- 
clined to  abandon  us  at  the  threshold  of  unexplored 
avenues,  fearing  its  powerlessness  to  accompany  us 
in  the  investigations  of  new  territories  perceived  by 
a  sensitive  and  cultured  consciousness,  albeit  these 
territories  may  hold  forth  the  promise  of  discoveries 
of  transcendent  import,  yea,  of  eternal  verities 
vouchsafing  infinite  joys  to  those  who  dare  to  venture 
beyond  their  border  line. 

The  poor  soul,  thus  abandoned,  is  left  alone  to 
trace  its  own  pathway,  to  build  its  own  credo,  to 
work  out  its  own  evolution,  guided  solely  by  that 
same  sensitive  and  cultured  consciousness  acquired 
by  deep  study  and  profound  meditation. 

And  now,  when  the  soul  has  come  to  be  fully  con- 
scious that  solely  upon  its  own  efforts  it  must  depend 


20  The  Strenuous  Life  Spiritual 

for  its  salvation,  that  it  alone  must  plan  and  build 
the  path  that  may  lead  it,  in  its  own  judgment,  to  a 
transcendental  knowledge  and  truth,  to  eternal  life, 
then  it  must  inaugurate  in  earnest  the  strenuous 
xife  spiritual.  It  must  take  hold  of  the  practical 
spiritual  life  with  a  determined  will.  It  should  not 
abandon  by  any  means  its  beautiful  dreams,  but 
descend  to  earth  to  realize  these  dreams  here  and 
now.  It  should  be  fully  armed  for  the  battle  and 
equipped  with  coat  of  mail,  helmet  and  sabre,  ready 
to  slash  right  and  left,  to  clear  the  upward  spiritual 
highway  of  all  obstacles,  to  eradicate  the  brambles 
and  briars  which  would  assuredly  render  the  road 
one  of  painful  ascent. 

Theodore  Koosevelt  writes: — "The  creed  which 
each  man  in  his  heart  believes  to  be  essential  to  his 
own  salvation  is  for  him  alone  to  determine;  but 
we  have  a  right  to  pass  judgment  upon  his  actions 
toward  those  about  him." 

Mr.  Roosevelt  is  right.  The  good  or  bad  result 
of  a  man's  belief  is  always  determined  by  his  actions 
in  everyday  life. 

In  our  Western  civilization  we  cannot  and  we 
should  not  endeavor  to  lead  the  life  of  abstraction 
which  characterizes  the  life  of  the  spiritual  leader  in 
the  Orient.  We  cannot  proceed  to  the  jungle,  aban- 
don wife  and  children,  live  with  the  beasts,  or  stand 
on  a  column  for  months,  in  order  to  spiritualize 


The  Strenuous  Life  Spiritual  21 

ourselves  or  gain  strength  of  will  against  evil.  The 
disciple  must  stay  in  the  midst  of  his  fellow  men, 
live  with  them,  intermingle  with  them,  be  an  exem- 
plary citizen,  and  thus  by  his  daily  actions  prove 
the  true  value  of  his  creed,  which  is  a  test  as  neces- 
sary to  himself  as  it  is  to  his  fellow  man. 

Mr.  Eoosevelt  again  states: — "The  cloistered  vir- 
tue which  timidily  shrinks  from  all  contact  with  the 
rough  world  of  actual  life,  and  the  uneasy,  self-con- 
scious vanity  which  misnames  itself  virtue,  and 
which  declines  to  co-operate  with  whatever  does  not 
adopt  its  own  fantastic  standard,  are  rather  worse 
than  valueless,  because  they  tend  to  rob  the  forces 
of  good  of  elements  on  which  they  ought  to  be  able 
to  count  in  the  ceaseless  contest  with  the  forces  of 
evil." 

'No  man  in  good  health  and  vigor  is  justified  in 
isolating  himself  for  life  from  his  fellow  men,  how- 
ever high  his  purpose  for  the  attainment  of  spiritual 
efficiency  may  be. 

Our  country  is  a  country  of  solidarity  and  interde- 
pendence of  its  citizens.  The  enormous  and  glorious 
facilities  for  obtaining  a  general  education,  the  com- 
parative ease  with  which  every  well-balanced  citizen 
may  obtain  a  livelihood  for  himself  and  family,  are 
powerful  instruments  to  obliterate  class  lines,  to 
bring  high  and  low  within  hearing — within  calling 
distance.    Our  work,  then,  in  the  spiritual  field  must 


22  The  Strenuous  Life  Spiritual 

be  a  work  performed  among  men  and  for  others  as 
well  as  for  our  individual  selves.* 


♦Reviewing  this  essay  a  last  time  before  delivering  it  to  the 
publisher — this  being  in  the  month  of  November,  1911 — I  feel 
it  impossible  to  dismiss  Mr.  Roosevelt  without  giving,  in  con- 
clusion, a  short  thought  concerning  him  and  his  career. 

To  Mr.  Roosevelt  is  certainly  due  the  inauguration  of  that 
era  of  political  and  social  purification  now  sweeping  in  a 
mighty  wave  over  the  entire  area  of  the  United  States.  Of  his 
achievements  in  that  line,  and  of  the  immensely  beneficent  in- 
fluences he  has  sown  with  plentiful  hands  all  over  the  land, 
emphasizing  the  necessity,  in  all  justice  and  in  all  honor,  of 
according  a  square  deal  to  every  man,  woman  and  child  in 
all  their  activities  of  life  we  will  not  speak.  These  achieve- 
ments, glorious  as  they  are,  are  known  and  duly  appreciated, 
not  only  in  our  land,  but  in  all  civilized  countries  of  the  whole 
world.  This  appreciation  has  been  proven  by  royal  recep- 
tions granted  him  by  emperors,  kings,  and  other  ruling 
heads  of  the  countries  of  the  world,  after  the  conclusion 
of  his  long  term  as  President  of  this  Republic. 

Since  Mr.  Roosevelt  has  resumed  the  duties  of  the  plain, 
common  citizen  he  is  continuing  his  good  work,  the  pen  having 
replaced  the  rapier.  The  criticisms  which  had  continually 
assailed  him  during  his  career  as  President  have  not  been 
abandoned;  but,  on  the  contrary,  have  at  times  grown  to 
greater  vehemence.  It  has  been  steadily  brought  forward  that 
Mr.  Roosevelt,  instead  of  descending  anew  in  the  seething 
arena  of  politics,  ought  to  have  retired  to  private  life  im- 
mediately after  his  triumphant  return  from  Europe,  where 
all  possible  consideration  and  honor  had  been  bestowed  upon 
him.  "He  should  have  rested  upon  his  laurels,"  it  was  sug- 
gested on  every  side,  and  these  laurels  were  pronounced 
abundant  enough  to  have  formed  a  comfortable  couch  for 
him  to  rest  upon  in  peace,  glory  and  contentment  all  the 
remaining  days  of  his  life! 

Not  he,  Theodore  Roosevelt!  Honors,  glory,  peace,  while 
duly  appreciated  by  him,  and  while  acknowledging,  with  his 
good  natured  broad  smile,  the  little  halo  they  threw  around 
him,  he  will  never  submit  to  their  caresses  and  go  to  sleep 
under  their  soothing  influence.  Duty !  Duty ! !  Duty ! ! !  is 
Theodore  Roosevelt's  watchword.  Duty  to  his  fellow  men, 
duty  to  his  country,  duty  to  his  God.  Helping  him  to  rescue 
the  children  of  earth,  his  beloved  children,  from  the  thraldom 
under  which  they  are  now  hopelessly  groaning. 


The  Strenuous  Life  Spiritual  23 

The  inner  urgings  of  his  soul,  the  mysterious  energy  con- 
stantly impressing  his  consciousness  with  the  necessity  of 
working  for  the  rescue  of  his  fellow  men,  are  the  impelling 
forces  directing  Mr.  Roosevelt's  life.  Over  these  forces  he  has 
no  control ;  their  urgings  he  must  obey,  toward  the  redemption 
of  his  fellow  men  on  earth;  he  must  labor  devoutly,  end- 
lessly, for  he  has  been  chosen  and  declared  a  faithful  servant 
of  the  Lord.  And  what  may  his  reward  be?  The  same  re- 
ward accorded  to  all  faithful  servants  as  indicated  by  the 
angel  "Selestor"  "The  Submissive  Life,"  forming  the  second 
part  of  this  book.  He  said  to  the  young  prophet :  "Crowns  of 
Light,  Crowns  of  Glory,  Crowns  of  Suffering,  and  Crowns 
of  Joy  I  see  for  thee." 


CHAPTER  II 

THE  UNIVERSE,  ITS  LAWS,  ITS  DESTINY,  AND  THE  ROLE 
MAN  IS  ASSIGNED  TO  PLAY  IN  IT 

To  understand  the  role  man  is  designed  to  play  in 
the  grand  drama  of  creation  it  becomes  indispensable 
that  he  should  have  a  fair  comprehension  of  the  laws 
of  the  universe  in  which  he  lives  and  has  his  being. 
Thus  only  may  he  be  enabled  to  conform  to  those 
laws,  learn  what  is  required  of  him  and  why,  and 
thus  work  out  understandingly  the  purpose  of  his 
existence;  yea,  his  very  destiny. 

To  convey  to  the  reader  a  preliminary  insight  to 
the  mighty  processes  of  divine  involution  and  evolu- 
tion, these  basic  facts  and  eternal  foundation  of  all 
that  is  and  of  all  that  will  be  forever,  we  will  cite 
here  as  an  illustration,  easily  apprehended,  the  in- 
structions imparted  by  a  high  priest  of  the  Hima- 
layan brotherhood  to  one  of  his  initiates*: — 

To  make  you  readily  and  thoroughly  understand 
this  great  mystery  of  involution  and  evolution,  let  us 
take,  by  way  of  illustration,  a  piece  of  ice,  which  we 
will  call  inert  matter.    Apply  to  it  a  higher  tempera- 


*On  the  Heights  of  Himalay."    Fenno  &  Co.,  New  York. 

24 


The  Strenuous  Life  Spiritual  25 

ture  and  it  becomes  water.  In  this  state  the  ice 
will  have  undergone  a  change  and  advanced  a  step 
in  its  evolutionary  process ;  will,  in  consequence,  have 
higher  qualities.  It  can  be  utilized  as  drink  for 
man,  beast  and  plant;  for  motive  power,  and  is  a 
solvent  of  matter,  which  the  piece  of  ice  could  not  be. 

"A  step  further  in  its  evolution,  and  under  a  still 
higher  temperature,  the  ice  becomes  steam.  This 
steam  has  more  potentialities  than  either  ice  or 
water;  it  is  invisible,  it  has  greater  mobility  than 
water;  is  capable  of  expansion,  has  more  properties, 
and  is  possessed  of  more  of  the  attributes  of  force. 
One  step  higher  and  we  have  what,  for  a  lack  of  a 
more  suitable  phrase,  is  called  superheated  steam. 
This,  man  has  not,  as  yet,  been  able  to  control.  It 
is  completely  invisible.  Its  potentialities  are  im- 
mense, incomprehensible;  so  much  so  that  some  of 
our  most  terrific  earthquakes  are  believed  to  be  caused 
by  the  water  of  the  ocean  coming  in  contact  with 
subterranean  fires  and  producing  superheated  steam 
in  large  quantities,  thereby  uplifting  the  crust  of 
the  earth  for  hundreds  of  leagues. 

"Another  stage  in  the  evolution  of  that  piece  of 
ice  and  it  becomes  the  ether  of  the  scientist,  filling 
all  interplanetary  space.  This  ether  is  identical  with 
the  Akasa  of  the  occultist,  contains  the  essential  ele- 
ments of  everything  in  existence,  and  is  one  of  the 
organizing  and  life-giving  forces  of  the  universe. 

"Still  another  step,  and  this  piece  of  ice  becomes 


26  The  Strenuous  Life  Spiritual 

celestial  essence,  or  an  atmosphere  in  which  creatures 
near  to  God  have  their  being.  A  few  steps  more  in 
the  evolutionary  process  and  it  has  become  the  es- 
sence of  Parabraham  or  God  himself. 

aIn  this  grand  laboratory  of  God,  the  brain  of  man 
is  the  first  apparatus  on  earth  which  can  convert 
matter  into  thought-force;  and  that  power,  everlast- 
ing in  its  effect,  is  a  very  potent  factor  in  the  evolu- 
tionary process  of  all  things,  either  a  baneful,  thwart- 
ing force,  or  helpful  and  sublime,  the  very  handmaid 
of  the  Heavenly  Father  in  the  fulfilment  of  His  de- 
signs." 

The  foregoing  example  of  the  block  of  ice  becom- 
ing finally  an  integral  part  of  the  Cosmic  Energy,  of 
the  Absolute  himself,  is  an  illustration  given  by  the 
high  priest  of  the  evolutionary  process  in  nature,  or 
the  attainment  to  supreme  potential,  through  the  ac- 
celeration of  vibratory  motion.  Reversing  the  pro- 
cess, through  involution,  or  decreasing  the  rapidity 
of  vibratory  motion  and  consequent  lowering  of  the 
Supreme  Potential,  the  God  essence  or  Pure  Spirit 
gradually  descends  into  materiality,  assumes  succes- 
sive forms  of  matter,  ending  in  the  block  of  ice  in 
which  the  God  essence  and  pure  Spirit  are  still  im- 
manent. 

To  obtain  a  more  thorough  understanding  of  these 
transcendental  processes  of  involution  and  evolution, 
the  real  basic  cause  of  all  that  is,  the  reader  will  per- 
mit us  to  refer  to  a  masterly  expose  of  the  spiritual 


The  Strenuous  Life  Spiritual  27 

cosmogony  of  the  universe  as  given  by  Balthazar  the 
Magus  to  his  disciples.* 

"The  primal  cause  of  all  that  is,  the  first  principle 
of  the  universe  and  all  that  it  contains,  is  the  in- 
comprehensible, inscrutable,  unmanifested,  an  un- 
solvable  and  eternal  mystery — the  ABSOLUTE! 
No  human  mind,  however  high  it  may  have  mounted 
on  the  steps  of  the  throne,  can  apprehend  the  idea  of 
the  Absolute.  It  is  beyond  the  reach  of  intellect, 
intuition,  clairvoyance  itself.  He,  the  Absolute,  is 
the  origin  of  all  creation,  of  all  life.  He  is  Omnis- 
cience, Omnipotence,  all  that  was,  is,  and  shall  be. 
He  is,  eternally,  Himself  and  unchangeable.  He  is 
Life,  Motion,  Existence !  All  that  is  is  of  Him  and 
from  Him ;  yet,  although  always  giving,  He  is  never 
depleted,  for  He  is  forever  receiving  and  throbbing 
from  very  fulness.  The  Absolute  is  the  Principle, 
the  core  of  all  Force,  the  Origin  of  all  Motion,  the 
Primal  Cause  of  all  Manifestation,  the  center  and 
sphere  of  supreme  POTENTIAL.  From  this  center, 
his  great  heart,  pulsing  and  vibrating  with  life,  flow 
into  space  emanations  which  form  a  second  sphere 
encircling  the  first  like  a  halo.  This  is  the  Aura  of 
the  ABSOLUTE  and  constitutes  the  zone  of  PURE 
SPIRIT.  This  zone  is  impregnated  with  all  the 
attributes  and  potentialities  of  the  Absolute  himself, 
for  it  is  HIMSELF. 


♦"Balthazar  the  Magus."    Fenno  &  Co..  New  York. 


28  The  Strenuous  Life  Spiritual 

"From  this  sphere  of  pure  spirit,  as  a  first  differen- 
tiation, emanate  primarily  the  Spiritual  Ions  which 
are  the  initial  units  and  principles  of  all  soul-forma- 
tion ;  secondly,  the  ions  of  force,  and  thirdly  the  ions 
of  substance.  Although  differentiated,  these  three 
series  of  ions  are  one,  constituting  as  an  aggregate 
the  source  of  all  creative  force  of  the  universe.  They 
represent  the  first  phase  of  Voluntary  Involution 
of  the  Absolute  in  his  descent  into  matter.  They  are 
the  general  parent  of  all  existences,  the  occult  ulti- 
mates  of  the  ions  that  are  already  recognized  by 
modern  science.  The  spiritual  ions,  the  first  radia- 
tions from  the  zone  of  pure  spirit,  are,  as  I  have 
stated,  the  units  and  initial  principles  of  soul-forma- 
tion; they  are  potentially  supreme.  Next  in  power 
come  the  Ions  of  force.  They  are  the  occult  mes- 
sengers of  the  ABSOLUTE,  the  unquestioning 
executors  of  his  never-varying  laws.  The  Ions  of 
substance  are  also  ultimates,  the  ultimates  of  those 
ions  that  have  replaced  the  atoms  of  science.  They 
are  infinitesimal,  beyond  the  reach  of  any  invented 
or  ever  imagined  microscope,  yet  they  are  REAL 
SUBSTANCE — the  first  cosmic  matter  in  its  high- 
est condition  of  etherealization  or  sublimation. 
These  three  series  of  Ions  are  the  first  emanations 
from  the  sphere  of  pure  spirit,  which  sphere  is  a 
zone  of  secondary  emanations  from  the  Absolute 
himself.    Therefore  these  Ions  are  still  HIMSELF. 

"The  spiritual  Ions,  inseparably  united  in  the  past 


The  Strenuous  Life  Spiritual  29 

with  the  Ions  of  force  and  substance,  must  remain 
so  united  throughout  the  seons  of  future  ages. 

"Through  countless  peregrinations  in  the  accom- 
plishment of  their  multifarious  destinies,  the  ions 
must,  fatally,  obey  the  dictates  of  the  Absolute  dur- 
ing his  voluntary  descent  into  matter — His  Involu- 
tion; and  this  involution  is  eternal.  These  Ions 
exist  and  perform  their  mission  in  perfect  but  pas- 
sive harmony  until  involution  has  attained  the  ex- 
treme limit  of  materialization,  when  matter  has 
reached  its  lowest  potential  of  vibration.  Then,  the 
Absolute  has  offered  himself  in  divine  holocaust  to 
the  countless  existences  presently  to  spring  from  his 
bosom. 

"Matter  is  now  king!  Matter  holds  the  Omnipo- 
tent a  prisoner  in  its  embrace.  From  supreme  Unity, 
the  Absolute  has  now  diffused  and  disseminated  him- 
self into  the  infinitude  of  the  infinitesimal.  His 
sacrifice  of  himself  is  now  complete.  In  divine  abne- 
gation he  is  totally  absorbed  into  matter ;  yet  matter 
is  still  Himself. 

"With  the  total  absorption  of  the  Absolute  in 
matter,  with  his  renunciation  of  active  will,  comes 
chaos.  Fiery  elements  combat  in  violent  efforts  to 
form  planets;  lurid  flames  shoot  up  for  incalculable 
distances  in  mid-space;  terrific  electric  disturbances 
circle  around  them,  they  are  the  last  throes  of  war- 
ring matter  approaching  its  lowest  potential.  Gradu- 
ally these  disturbances  subside;  the  fiery  elements 


30  The  Strenuous  Life  Spiritual 

confine  themselves  to  zones  or  burning  spots,  and 
vaporous  bands  form  around  them.  Gradually,  slow- 
ly, during  ages,  their  temperature  lessens  until  finally 
the  lowest  potential  of  energy  in  matter  is  attained, 
followed  by  glacial  epochs  or  apparent  immobility 
and  stagnation. 

"At  this  point  Involution  is  complete;  and  as 
there  can  be  no  cessation  in  cosmic  motion  (the 
supreme  law  of  the  universe  being  continuous  activ- 
ity), evolution  has  here  its  beginning.  The  Divine 
Essence  henceforth  gradually  divests  itself  of  matter, 
or  rather,  it  spiritualizes  matter,  that  it  may  return 
to  the  bosom  of  the  Absolute  from  which  it  was  a 
direct  emanation. 

"The  process  of  the  evolution  of  animate  and  in- 
animate nature  is  conducted  by  the  occult  workings 
of  the  spiritual  Ions,  whose  activity  is  the  never- 
ceasing  energy  of  the  Absolute  immanent  in  them. 
Accelerated  vibration  is  produced,  constituting  a  call 
to  life  and  action.  The  spiritual  Ions  are  no  longer 
content  to  remain  passive  and  buried  in  a  shroud  of 
matter.  They  begin  to  vibrate  forcibly;  they  have 
a  work  to  accomplish,  they  must  free  themselves  from 
the  domination  of  the  Ions  of  substance,  with  which 
they  are,  however,  indissolubly  united.  In  the 
awakening  to  life  they  find  allies  in  the  ions  of 
force  also  immanent  of  the  Absolute,  and  acting  by 
his  influence.  Together  they  wage  war  against  the 
ions   of  substance,   knowing  instinctively  that  the 


The  Strenuous  Life  Spiritual  31 

victory  will  award  them  a  high  destiny.  This  vic- 
tory will  also  benefit  matter  by  elevating  and  puri- 
fying it,  for  MATTEE  IS  ALSO  GOD.  From 
this  moment,  evolution  will  proceed  on  its  infinite 
journey,  developing  slowly  and  by  infinite  transfor- 
mations, creations  of  constantly  ascending  types. 
This  process  operates  first  in  the  mineral,  then  in  the 
vegetable,  last  in  the  animal  kingdom.  Animate 
nature  gradually  tends  toward  perfection  in  the 
moral,  intellectual  and  spiritual  worlds;  in  over- 
coming matter  and  liberating  the  ABSOLUTE  from 
its  bonds,  it  gradually  incorporates  more  and  more 
of  the  divine.  So,  the  evolutionary  process  will  con- 
tinue until  the  sphere  of  pure  spirit  is  again  at- 
tained. There  the  great  souls  who  have  labored  to 
lives  of  all  with  whom  they  are  brought  in  contact — 
they,  the  higher  products  of  spiritual  evolution — 
shall  dwell  in  everlasting  bliss." 

In  the  Absolute  the  spiritual  ions  are  of  course 
endowed  with  their  supreme  potential,  for  they  are 
the  Absolute  himself.  The  zone  of  pure  spirit  being 
the  first  differentiation  of  the  Absolute,  in  His  in- 
volution or  descent  into  matter,  the  spiritual  ions  in 
this  zone  are  the  product  of  a  less  exalted  potential, 
caused  by  a  lessening  of  their  vibratory  force  or 
velocity  inherent  in  the  zone  of  pure  spirit.  This 
lessening  of  the  vibratory  force  gives  rise  to  the 
first  manifestation  of  the  ions  of  force  and  of  those 
of  substance. 


32  The  Strenuous  Life  Spiritual 

A  good  illustration  of  this  process  is  given  in  the 
first  course  of  physics  in  the  laboratories  of  our  col- 
leges. The  professor  causes  to  be  painted  upon  a 
large  disk  all  the  colors  of  the  rainbow  or  prism. 
This  disk  is  attached  to  a  spindle  which  can  be  made 
to  revolve  at  any  ratio  of  the  speed.  When  a  very 
high  velocity  is  induced  in  the  disk  all  the  colors 
of  the  prism  disappear,  lose  their  individuality  and 
blend  into  a  pure  white,  like  the  light  of  the  sun,  of 
which  the  prismatic  colors  are  component  parts.  Re- 
duce the  number  of  revolutions  of  the  disk  gradually 
and  as  gradually  will  the  different  colors  reappear 
and  resume  their  original  and  individual  aspects. 

In  a  similar  way  do  the  spiritual  ions  differenti- 
ate themselves  into  spiritual  ions  of  a  lower  poten- 
tial, into  ions  of  force  and  into  ions  of  substance. 

This  statement  that  the  ions  of  spirit  lose  some- 
thing of  their  potential  as  they  are  differentiated 
through  involution  is  a  most  momentous  occult  truth 
which  underlies  and  affects  all  creations ;  and  so  it  is 
likewise  with  the  ions  of  force  and  the  ions  of  sub- 
stance with  which  they  are  indissolubly  united. 

In  the  same  measure  as  the  Absolute  descends  into 
His  voluntary  involution,  his  emanations  are  lowered 
in  potential ;  consequently,  the  vibratory  force  of  the 
ions  of  spirit,  of  force,  and  of  substance  is  lowered, 
for  they  are  the  emanations  of  Himself,  they  are 
still  Himself. 
1   When  involution  has  nearly  reached  its  lowest  po- 


The  Strenuous  Life  Spiritual  33 

tential,  for  instance  at  the  glacial  epoch,  the  ions  of 
spirit  seem  to  remain  dormant,  the  ions  of  force 
appear  equally  difficult  to  be  aroused,  and  the  ions 
of  substance  have  consolidated  into  solid  visible 
matter,  as  did  the  colors  of  the  prism  become  indi- 
vidually visible  when  the  revolutions  of  the  disk 
upon  which  they  were  painted  reached  their  lowest 
velocity. 

Another  illustration  may  here  be  given,  to  aid  in 
the  comprehension  of  the  differentiation  of  the  Abso- 
lute into  a  lower  potential,  for  this  fundamental 
truth  must  be  thoroughly  understood  by  the  disciple. 
Take  our  sun,  for  instance.  The  heat  in  his  own 
body  we  consider  to  be  supreme  and  all-consuming. 
This  intense  heat,  however,  grows  gradually  less  as 
it  travels  farther  from  the  parent  body,  and  in 
measure  as  the  vibrations  of  its  rays  decrease  in 
velocity  causing  a  lowering  of  temperature,  it  per- 
mits of  an  infinite  series  of  creations  to  spring  up, 
each  absorbing  a  greater  or  lesser  degree  of  heat  ac- 
cording to  the  need  of  the  particular  constitution 
of  each  series  or  species,  until  at  last  this  heat,  in 
its  lowest  rate  of  vibration  remains  dormant,  so  to 
say,  in  a  block  of  ice. 

We  are  aware  that  all  these  differentiated  crea- 
tions are  composed  in  part  of  the  ions  of  substance, 
which,  owing  to  their  lowered  potential,  have  be- 
come apparent  or  visible.  These  ions  of  substance, 
however,  being  eternally  and  indissolubly  united  to 


34  The  Strenuous  Life  Spiritual 

the  ions  of  force  and  of  spirit,  and  these  latter  ions 
having  also  had  their  own  potential  lowered  con- 
jointly and  in  harmony  with  the  ions  of  substance, 
now  visible  matter,  they  form  creations  in  which 
the  three  series  of  ions  work  in  harmony,  under  the 
guidance  of  the  perpetual  urging,  due  to  the  imma- 
nence of  the  Absolute  in  these  ions,  which  are  still 
Himself. 

We,  human  beings,  are  only  an  infinitesimal  part 
of  the  universal  creations,  a  very  small  note  in  the 
grand  concert  of  things.  All  creations  are,  each  and 
all  of  them,  equally  infinitesimal  parts  of  the  same 
universal  creation,  their  aggregate  forming  the  body 
of  the  Absolute  himself. 

"All  are  but  parts  of  one  stupendous  whole, 
Whose  body  Nature  is  and  God  the  Soul." 

Every  individual  cell  in  the  hundreds  of  millions 
of  cells  composing  the  human  body,  although  but  a 
little  microscopical  thing,  is  an  entity  in  itself,  has 
its  own  particular  work  to  perform  in  the  body,  is 
closely  connected  with  the  other  cells,  and  all  are 
guided  by  higher  forces  giving  them  strength  and 
intelligent  impulse  to  perform  their  task  rightly 
and  in  harmony  one  with  another. 

Likewise,  all  creations  must  work  in  harmony  one 
with  another  in  order  to  perform,  in  accordance  with 
the  design  of  the  Infinite  Father,  their  allotted  role 


The  Strenuous  Life  Spiritual  85 

in  the  cosmic  body  or  outward  manifestations  of  the 
Absolute. 

If,  in  the  body  of  man  one  cell  or  a  series  of 
cells,  acting  upon  misguided  impulse,  should  isolate 
itself  from  the  aggregate  of  cells,  refusing  to  do  the 
work  allotted  to  it  for  the  healthy  maintenance  of 
the  body,  these  rebellious  cells  would  no  longer  re- 
ceive strength  from  the  health  current  of  the  body, 
consequently  would  become  ill,  or  atrophied,  and 
cause  partial  disorder  in  the  entire  body.  And  so  it 
is  likewise  with  the  man  cell,  a  wee  little  creation 
in  the  universality  of  being.  If  by  misguided  im- 
pulse man  should  give  way  to  the  exacting  demands 
of  the  senses  he  would  isolate  himself  from  the 
higher  life  currents,  become  morally  and  physically 
unhealthy,  live  a  life  out  of  harmony  with  his  fellow 
creations,  be  a  discordant  note  in  the  cosmic  body  or 
outward  manifestation  of  the  Absolute,  and  such 
a  man  does  not  worthily  fulfil  his  destiny. 

All  the  creations  existing  in  the  great  cosmos  are, 
from  the  infinitely  small  monera  up  to  man  himself, 
the  result  of,  and  made  possible  only,  through  the 
lowering  of  the  vibratory  potential  of  the  three  series 
of  ions   always  united  in  harmony. 

If  the  potential  of  the  sun's  heat  were  not  lowered, 
these  creations  could  not  exist.  Let  us  imagine  for 
a  moment,  for  illustration's  sake,  that  the  full  poten- 
tial of  the  sun's  heat  strikes  the  Earth.  All  visible 
life  would  instantly  be  consumed.    A  similar  illus- 


36"  The  Strenuous  Life  Spiritual 

tration  applied  to  the  ions  of  spirit  holds  equally 
good,  for  if  the  Absolute  in  his  highest  potential 
were  to  descend  upon  the  earth,  all  creations  would 
disappear  at  once,  being  absorbed  through  instan- 
taneous and  final  spiritualization  into  the  bosom  of 
the  Absolute.  The  Good  Book  truly  says:  "No 
man  can  behold  the  face  of  God  and  live." 

The  occult  truth  is  thus  demonstrated  that  all  ex- 
istences, from  the  apparently  immovable  rock  to  the 
plant,  and  onward  to  man  himself,  are  each  and  all, 
individually  and  collectively,  a  group,  a  concretion, 
a  congregation  as  it  were,  of  ultimate  ions  of  spirit, 
force  and  substance.  These  ions,  in  infinitely  varied 
states  of  vibratory  potential,  through  endless  stages 
of  differentiation,  all  work  in  harmony  to  perfect 
their  own  little  special  creation.  The  harmonious 
grouping  of  ions  constituting  the  bodies  of  these 
individualized  creations  are  brought  together  by 
natural  selection,  affinity,  attraction  and  repulsion, 
superinduced  by  the  polarity  of  each  ion  in  its  actual 
condition  of  differentiation  or  attenuation  of  vibra- 
tory potential.* 

The  ions,  consequently,  composing  all  existences, 
mineral,  vegetable  or  animal,  have  the  same  origin 
in  the  Absolute,  of  whom  they  must  ever  remain  an 
integral  part,  although  of  immensely  lower  poten- 


*We  take  the  liberty  of  referring  the  reader  to  the  appendix 
in  "Balthazar  the  Magus"  for  a  scientific  demonstration  of  the 
Vibratory  force  underlying  all  forms  in  creation. 


The  Strenuous  Life  Spiritual  37 

tial,  just  as  truly  as  the  rays  of  the  sun  here  on 
earth  are  always  a  part  of  their  parent,  only  of  an 
immensely  lower  potential  of  heat 

In  the  lower  order  of  creation  the  ions  of  sub- 
stance are  preponderant,  the  ions  of  force  coming 
second,  and  the  ions  of  spirit  third;  latent  perhaps, 
but  present,  and  all  these  ions  still  urged  onward  and 
upward  through  the  Immanence  of  the  Absolute. 

Man,  then,  in  his  most  intimate  constitution  is  in 
close  relation,  a  relative  in  fact  to  all  things  in  exist- 
ence. He  belongs  to  the  same  family  with  the  rocks, 
the  plants,  and  all  animals. 

The  spiritual  ions  at  present  smothered  in  the 
beast,  in  the  course  of  multiple  transformations  and 
existences  must  and  will  ultimately  be  incorporated 
in  man  and  through  the  endless  and,  so  far,  mys- 
terious operations  of  the  law  of  evolution,  return  to 
the  Infinite  Father,  the  Absolute,  whence  they 
sprung. 


CHAPTER  III 

OUR  DUTY  TOWAED  ALL  EXISTENCE 

It  becomes  evident  that  our  relations  with  all 
existences,  close  or  distant,  should  result  in  a  feeling 
of  sympathy,  ranging,  perhaps,  from  a  mere  senti- 
ment of  commiseration  for  the  creations  of  the  lower 
order  to  that  of  loving  sympathy  for  beings  approach- 
ing nearer  to  us.  We  must  arrive  at  the  realization  that 
there  is  only  one  life;  the  Universal  Life,  and  we 
are  a  little  part  of  it  like  all  other  things  and  beings. 
And  all  such  things  and  beings  as  well  as  ourselves 
have  a  role  to  perform  in  that  universal  life,  how- 
ever insignificant  that  role  may  appear  to  us,  but 
still  a  role  the  faithful  performance  of  which  is 
necessary  to  the  harmony  of  the  ultimate  fulfilment 
of  the  mysterious  yet  most  momentous  destiny  of  all 
this  is 

This  kinship  with  all  creations  man  may  not  for- 
sake. Separateness  is  harmful  mental  isolation;  it 
means  cutting  off  the  current  of  the  universal  life 
forces.  This  must  act  detrimentally  on  man's  health, 
stultify  soul  growth,  and  arrest  spiritual  unfoldment. 

This  universal  kinship  with  all  that  is  cannot  be 
too  strongly  emphasized.     It  is  a  kinship  of  our 

38 


The  Strenuous  Life  Spiritual  39 

spiritual  ions,  principally  with  the  spiritual  ions 
embodied  in  all  created  things  and  beings,  a  kinship 
with  the  Almighty,  the  Absolute  himself  who  dwells 
in  all  that  is,  for  ALL  THAT  IS  IS  HIMSELF. 

YEA,  A  KINSHIP  WITH  THE  INFINITE 
FATHEK! 

We  may  verily  exclaim,  yes,  every  one  of  us: — 
The  Infinite  Father  and  I  are  One, 

We  must,  however,  enlarge  the  analogy  by  render- 
ing it  universal.  We  should  sing  out  in  joyful 
tones:  "The  Infinite  Father  and  I  and  all  created 
things  and  being  are  one;  we  are  all  molecules  in  the 
universal  life," 

THIS  IS  INDEED  THE  SUPKEME  OCCULT 
TKUTH  UNDEKLYING  ALL  THE  MANIFES- 
TATIONS OF  THE  UNIVERSE. 

Ramacharaka,  the  famous  Indian  Yogi,  states: 
"The  universal  life  is  an  emanation  of  the  Abso* 
lute.  The  emanation  from  the  Absolute  is  in  the 
form  of  a  grand  manifestation  of  one  universal 
life,  in  which  the  various  apparent  separate  forms 
of  life  are  but  centers  of  energy  or  consciousness, 
the  separation  being  more  apparent  than  real,  there 
being  a  bond  of  unity  and  connection  underlying 
all  the  apparently  separate  forms.  The  highest 
and  the  lowest  are  part  of  the  same  one  life.  Each 
of  you  has  the  same  life  blood  flowing  through 
your  veins;  you  are  connected  with  every  other 


40  The  Strenuous  Life  Spiritual 

form  of  life,  high  or  low,  with  invisible  bonds,  and 
none  is  separate  from  another." 

Man  is  correlated  with  all ;  that  is,  just  as  one  sin- 
gle cell  in  the  human  body  is  correlated  with  all  other 
cells  in  the  same  body;  and  all  must  work  in  har- 
mony as  the  only  means  to  keep  the  body  in  a  healthy 
condition,  thus  permitting  it  to  work  out  his  allotted 
mission  or  ultimate  destiny. 

It  behooves,  then,  each  one  of  us ;  yea,  it  becomes 
a  paramount  duty,  to  help  all  other  cells  in  the  uni- 
versal life  to  assume  a  healthy  condition,  be  they 
represented  by  plants,  animals,  or  man.  Are  we  not 
infinitesimal  cells  ourselves  in  the  gigantic  cosmos, 
in  the  univercolum,  WHICH  IS  THE  BODY  OF 
THE  INFINITE  HIMSELF?  What  great  con- 
solation it  is,  indeed,  to  be  able  to  say  verily:  "In 
alleviating  the  pain  of  this  animal,  assuaging  its 
suffering  by  a  few  caresses;  in  helping  my  brother 
man  in  his  hour  of  need,  consoling  him  in  his  sor- 
rows, straightening  this  broken  flower  and  support- 
ing its  suffering  limb;  yea,  to  be  able  to  say  within 
our  very  soul.  In  doing  this  good  work,  of  helping 
others,  I  am  not  helping  myself  alone  but  am  work- 
ing the  vineyard  of  my  Lord  God;  I  am  helping 
the  Infinite  Father  in  His  great  and  glorious  scheme 
of  creation  by  caring  for  the  welfare  of  those  things 
and  beings  which  He  created  to  be  His  instruments 


The  Strenuous  Life  Spiritual  41 

in  the  carrying  out  of  His  divine  and  mysterious 
plan — the  evolution  of  His  universe !" 

Our  Brethren  in  Slavery 

The  city  of ,  in  a  Latin-European  country, 

much  civilized  indeed,  is  surrounded  by  a  large  num- 
ber of  coal  mines  and  consequently  is  a  manufactur- 
ing center.  In  a  village  near  by  I  noticed  a  dozen 
women  standing  in  a  row  near  a  series  of  coal  cars 
which  were  being  unloaded.  These  women  had  on 
their  backs,  solidly  strapped  over  their  shoulders,  a 
large  wooden  hod  or  basket.  They  turned  their  backs 
to  the  cars,  and,  from  the  top  of  the  pile  of  coal, 
workmen  dumped  large  shovelfuls  into  the  baskets, 
which  came  down  with  a  thud.  The  women  stiffened 
their  shoulders  to  counteract  the  shock,  which,  how- 
ever, caused  their  bodies  to  quiver  every  time  a 
shovelful  reached  the  basket.  Then  the  poor  things 
straightened  up  again  to  receive  another  shovelful, 
until  their  hod  was  filled,  when  they  trotted  off  to 
discharge  their  burden  at  the  indicated  place.  This 
was  the  daily  task  of  these  women,  and  for  which 
they  were  paid  a  paltry  pittance. 

When  I  saw  these  poor  creatures  thus  enslaved, 
and  when  I  realized  that  in  them  the  same  spiritual 
ions  were  dwelling  as  in  myself,  of  course,  a  feeling 
of  immense  pity  took  hold  of  me.  I  deplored  pro- 
foundly the  terrible  industrial  system  compelling  this 


3:2  The  Strenuous  Life  Spiritual 

slavery,  entirely  for  the  benefit  of  the  mine  owner 
and  manufacturer. 

Never  before  did  I  so  thoroughly  understand  that 
the  comfort  of  the  higher  classes  has  its  main  root  in 
the  underpaid  toil  and  sweat  of  the  downtrodden 
children  of  God. 

Duty  of  the  Disciple 

The  disciple  on  the  Path  should  always  be  a  staunch 
defender  of  the  inborn  rights  of  his  co-pilgrims  or 
fellows  in  the  universal  life.  These  poor  suffering 
brethren  or  sisters  are  prevented  from  fulfilling  their 
destiny  in  this  world,  from  even  obtaining  a  glimpse 
of  their  higher,  their  true  nature,  through  the  brutal- 
izing labor  to  which  they  are  condemned  from  their 
childhood.  These  unfortunates  are  compelled,  by 
necessity,  to  labor  as  soon  as  their  little  arms  can 
carry  a  tool  or  a  basket.  Their  schooling  is  of  no 
consequence  to  the  mine  owner,  for  as  long  as  these 
people  can  be  kept  in  ignorance  of  their  inborn  rights, 
just  so  long  will  they  remain  obedient  slaves. 

These  lines  are  not  written  for  the  ordinary  in- 
dustrial or  commercial  man,  learned  or  unlearned, 
for  he  considers  his  personal  interest  paramount  over 
the  rights  of  others.  !No,  these  lines  are  written  for 
the  man  of  industry  who  has  commenced  his  evolu- 
tion seriously,  and  has  ventured  on  the  Path. 
It  will  be  readily  understood  that  the  illustration 


The  Strenuous  Life  Spiritual  48 

given  of  these  poor  coal  carriers  is  only  one  in  a  thou- 
sand. 

Industrial  slavery  exists  to  some  extent  every- 
where in  manufacturing  centers. 

Hence,  in  all  walks  of  life;  in  whatever  position 
our  activities  may  have  placed  us,  whether  in  high 
or  low  estates,  let  us  remember  that  there  is  only  one 
life— the  UNIVEKSAL  LIFE;  and  that  we,  our- 
selves, with  all  other  creations,  are  a  part  of  it,  and 
that  if  we  have  an  inborn  and  inalienable  right  to 
existence  and  to  a  minimum  of  suffering  during  that 
existence,  so  likewise  have  all  other  creations  the 
same  rights.  Our  own  rights  we  must  demand,  and 
insist  that  they  be  granted,  and  in  all  necessity  and 
justice  we  must  respect  and  grant  the  same  rights 
to  all  other  existences,  whatever  they  may  be. 

To  revert  to  these  unfortunate  women,  the  coal 
carriers,  we  would  suggest  a  moment's  meditation. 
Suppose  we  should  have  a  few  daughters  of  our  own, 
and  say  to  them:  "Dear  children  go  now  forth  into 
the  world  to  make  your  own  way  in  life ;  the  world 
is  wide,  it  belongs  to  you  all.  You  possess  the  gifts 
and  rights  awarded  to  all  human  beings,  the  instincts 
of  self-preservation,  the  average  intellect  of  your 
race,  a  conscience  enabling  you  to  discriminate  be- 
tween right  and  wrong,  telling  you  what  you  may  do 
and  may  not  do.  You  possess  also  an  inbred  con- 
sciousness of  the  existence  of  some  Higher  Power 
always  urging  us  upward,   and  ever  protecting  us 


44  The  Strenuous  Life  Spiritual 

when  we  live  in  accordance  with  those  urgings.  Now 
go  forth  into  the  world  among  your  fellow  men,  your 
brethren,  your  co-pilgrims  on  this  mysterious  road  of 
life,  and  among  them  and  with  them  work  out  your 
destiny,  for  you  are  free  to  choose  your  own  path. 

Suppose  after  many  years  you  discover  these 
daughters  standing  in  a  row  near  the  coal  cars,  with 
great  hods  on  their  backs  into  which  large  shovelfuls 
of  coal  are  being  thrown,  causing  their  poor  bodies 
to  quiver  at  each  shovelful  their  hods  received  ? 

Your  heart  would  break  at  this  discovery,  would 
it  not  ?  Suppose  these  women  instead  of  being  your 
daughters  should  prove  only  distant  blood  relations, 
you  would  surely  feel  sad,  and  would  exercise  every 
endeavor  to  better  their  condition  and  rescue  them 
from  their  lot,  so  full  of  bitter  hardships,  would  you 
not? 

ISTow  these  poor  coal  carrier  women  found  stand- 
ing near  the  coal  cars  in  the  vicinity  of  the  city  of 

and  quivering  at  every  shovelful  dumped  into 

their  hods  are  children  of  the  almighty  God.  The 
divinity  is  inherent  in  them  as  well  as  in  ourselves. 

The  most  distressing  feature  of  their  hard  lot, 
however,  is  that  the  poverty  in  which  they  are  kept 
has  forced  them  to  forego  the  advantages  of  even  a 
scant  education.  This  keeps  them  almost  to  the  level 
of  animals,  of  beasts  of  burden,  having  no  time  or 
inclination  to  give  a  single  thought  to  their  higher 
nature;  yea,  even  totally  ignorant  of  its  existence, 


The  Strenuous  Life  Spiritual  45 

as  well  as  of  the  privileges,  rights,  and  possibilities 
to  which  every  human  being  is  entitled. 

So,  then,  if  we  would  fain  rescue  these  poor  women 
if  they  were  our  daughters,  or  any  blood  relatives, 
from  their  arduous  task,  does  it  not  become  a  supreme 
duty  for  every  one  of  us  to  go  to  the  rescue  of  these 
women  and  similar  slaves  of  industrialism  and  com- 
mercialism, now  that  we  know  them  to  be  a  part  of 
us,  a  part  of  the  almighty  God — constituting  with 
ourselves  equally  important  parts  of  His  general 
creations;  yea,  atoms  in  the  universal  life!  And, 
likewise,  with  ourselves,  they  have  an  important  role 
to  perform  in  the  great  drama  of  creation,  a  role 
these  poor  victims  are  unable  to  fill  through  the 
selfishness  of  the  social  conditions  which  have  made 
slaves  of  them,  and  which  have  atrophied  in  them 
the  feeling  of  their  human  possibilities  by  compelling 
them  to  play  the  role  of  a  discordant  note  in  the 
sublime  symphony  of  the  universe. 

O  thou  disciple,  we  enjoin  thee  to  be  faithful  to 
thy  duty,  to  encourage  and  lend  a  helping  hand  to 
the  many  endeavors  of  noble  souls  trying  to  create 
social  conditions  intended  to  gradually  set  free  the 
soul  of  the  white  slave,  our  brother.  O  disciple, 
heed  thou  this ! 


CHAPTEE  IV 

OTJR  HIGHER  SELF DISCIPLINE  OF  THE  LOWER  SELF 

And  now  comes  the  great  theme  of  Our  Higher 
Self.  What  is  the  higher  self?  The  name  alone 
suggests  that  it  is  not  a  thing  separate  from  our 
bodily  self,  but  something  higher,  nobler,  purer  than 
our  ordinary  terrestrial  self,  our  everyday  bartering, 
bargaining,  speculating,  planning,  scheming,  ambi- 
tious, money-loving,  worldly  self.  It  is  a  self  that 
is  not  outside  of  us  but  within  us,  hidden  in  the 
deepest,  most  secret,  and  perhaps  holiest  recesses  of 
our  being.  It  is  an  inner  burning  light,  a  spark  of 
the  zone  of  pure  spirit  of  a  potential  considerably 
higher  than  the  average  potential  of  the  spiritual  ions 
composing  our  individuality.  Is  our  higher  self  an 
agglomeration  of  the  combined  auras  of  our  own 
spiritual  cells,  localized,  perhaps,  in  the  mysterious 
solar  plexus,  or  in  some  of  the  inner  recesses  of  our 
brain,  where  it  inhabits  its  own  sanctuary?  And  is 
this  sanctuary  more  or  less  in  affinity  with  the  grand 
reservoir  of  cosmic  spiritual  energy  from  which  it 
may  draw  forth  strength  when  need  or  prayer  de- 
mands ?  Is  the  higher  self  our  soul  ?  What  is  our 
soul?    Higher  self  or  soul  is  certainly  not  a  thing 

40 


The  Strenuous  Life  Spiritual  47 

away  from  us,  for  it  is  always  with  us,  ever  present. 
We  feel  its  beneficent  influence  at  the  least  call.  Its 
urge  toward  higher  things  is  unceasing.  In  sorrow 
we  feel  its  soothing  caresses;  in  despondency  its  up- 
lifting encouragement;  in  danger  we  suddenly  ap- 
prehend its  warning.  In  important  transactions, 
likely  to  have  a  serious  bearing  upon  our  moral  life  or 
material  welfare  a  decided  inhibition  of  the  brain 
force  sets  in,  a  stopping  of  all  thought,  as  it  were, 
and  again  we  understand  and  heed  the  warning. 

A  single  electrical  cell  or  element  possesses  only  a 
feeble  current ;  but  taking,  for  instance,  fifty  of  these 
cells  and  connecting  them  into  a  battery,  this  battery 
will  possess  a  great  potential,  and  through  its  in- 
strumentality we  will  be  able  to  perform  important 
work.  And  so  it  is  with  the  spiritual  ions  in  the 
cells  composing  man's  body  or  brain ;  their  combined 
auras  may,  and  do,  form  the  spiritual  potential  or 
our  higher  self,  or,  perhaps,  constitute  what  is  called 
soul  by  the  scholastics.  This  higher  self  or  soul  is 
certainly  a  spark  of  the  divine  ocean  of  life.  It  is 
in  constant  communion  with  the  reservoir  of  all 
spiritual  energy  and  may  gradually  partake  of  its 
bounteous  treasure,  in  measure  as  our  growing  spirit- 
ual life  encounters  higher  radiations,  thus  ever  near- 
ing  the  resplendent  zone  of  pure  spirit. 

It  is  this  accumulated  power  given  forth  by  the 
spiritual  ions  or  cells  which  constitute  the  higher  and 
holy  potential  used  by  our  higher  self  or  soul.    It  is 


48  The  Strenuous  Life  Spiritual 

that  which  protects  us,  warns  us,  urges  us  ever  up- 
ward— showers  upon  us  life's  benedictions. 

"The  real  self  is  the  ego,"  says  Kamacharaka,  "and 
is  independent  of  the  body  which  it  inhabits. 

"The  real  self  is  the  soul. 

"The  self  is  a  drop  from  the  divine  ocean. 

"Do  not  think  of  your  soul  as  a  thing  apart  from 
yourself,  for  YOU  are  the  soul,  and  the  body  is  the 
unreal,  which  is  changing  every  day,  and  which  some 
day  you  will  discard." 

Eamacharaka  thinks  that  our  real  self  or  higher 
self,  or  soul,  constitutes  our  true  individual.  He 
says:  "Webster  defines  the  word  'individual'  as 
follows :  'Not  divided  or  not  to  be  divided,  existing 
as  one  distinct  being  or  object,  single ;  one ;  the  word 
arises  from  the  Latin  word  "individuus,"  meaning 
indivisible,  not  divisible.'  " 

The  Yogi  makes  a  marked  distinction  between  our 
individuality  and  our  personality,  for  he  states  fur- 
ther on:  "Webster  tells  us  also  that  the  word  'per- 
son' originated  from  the  Latin  word  'persona,'  mean- 
ing a  mask  used  by  actors.  The  same  authority  in- 
forms us  that  the  archaic  meaning  of  the  word  was 
'a  character  or  part,  as  in  a  play,'  the  higher  self 
using  the  lower  self  as  a  theatrical  personage  to 
convey  its  meaning  or  to  work  out  its  activities  in 
life.  But  when  the  actor  is  bad  or  undeveloped,  what 
can  the  poor  individual  or  higher  self  perform? 
'The  poor  actor  may  think  sometimes  he  is  the  real 


The  Strenuous  Life  Spiritual  49 

playwright,  the  genius  itself,  and  what  a  poor  mess 
he  may  make  of  the  drama  of  life,  of  the  real  part 
that  should  be  played  through  him.'  Back  of  the 
mask  is  the  Great  Individual  'the  indivisible/  the 
'universal  life,'  and  through  his  mask,  his  actor,  he 
comes  in  contact  with  the  various  creations  of  the 
universal  life,  in  which  you  are  a  center  of  conscious- 
ness and  activity.  Your  consciousness  so  enlarges  as 
you  unfold,  that  you  will  feel  in  the  end  your  iden- 
tity to  be  the  identity  of  the  Universe." 

How  may  we  make  our  higher  self  more  powerful, 
endow  it  with  a  greater  potential? 

The  higher  self  and  the  lower  self  in  us  are  very 
intimately  interblended,  inseparable.  The  one  con- 
stantly endeavors  to  obtain  control  of  the  other.  In 
their  mutual  and  never  ceasing  efforts  consists  the 
battle  of  life. 

Our  lower  self  has  all  the  power  of  our  senses  ar- 
rayed on  its  side,  and  they  are  ever  aggressive.  Our 
higher  self  has  the  influence  of  the  spiritual  ions  to 
aid  it  in  the  battle.  The  one  is  the  attraction  of  the 
animal  in  us,  the  other  is  the  suggestion  of  the 
angel. 

These  two  contending  forces  are  ever  present, 
watching  one  another  closely,  each  one  endeavoring 
to  get  the  upper  hand  over  his  adversary  and  keep 
him  down. 

The  lower  self,  controlled  by  the  senses,  gets  its 


50  The  Strenuous  Life  Spiritual 

ammunition  from  the  earth,  the  higher  self  obtains 
its  strength  from  the  skies. 

Which  one  of  these  two  warriors  in  us  will  win  the 
battle  %  This  is  a  most  momentous  problem  for  us  to 
solve,  and  the  solution  lies  all  together  with  our  own 
individual  selves. 

Now  which  one  of  these  two  contending  forces  in 
us  do  we  desire  to  win,  to  come  out  victorious  ?  Are 
we  going  to  array  ourselves  with  the  terrestrial  or 
lower  self,  or  do  we  intend  to  take  sides  with  our 
higher  self? 

Taking  sides  with  our  lower  self  will  be  a  com- 
paratively easy  task.  Let  physical  senses  control 
our  lives;  give  right  of  way  to  all  our  animal  pro- 
pensities; satisfy  in  fullest  measure  our  desires  for 
earthly  honors ;  barter  to  our  cravings  for  power  over 
our  fellow  men ;  bend  our  best  energies  to  the  acqui- 
sition of  wealth  to  gratify  our  multiple  appetites, 
and,  as  a  result  of  these  unceasing  and  strenuous 
efforts,  we  may  find  ourselves  at  the  apogee  of  worldly 
honors,  with  the  power  of  untold  wealth  behind  us, 
flattered  by  all,  bowed  to  by  the  multitude;  in  fine, 
we  may,  as  a  final  result  of  the  complete  victory  of 
our  lower  self,  have  blossomed  into  a  terrestrial  ani- 
mal of  the  highest  type,  having  attained  to  earth's 
loftiest  pinnacle,  that  of  enjoying  a  supreme  happi- 
ness similar  to  the  happiness  of  the  ox  standing  knee 
deep  in  clover,  his  desires  satiated  to  the  utmost,  and 
finally  lying  down  in  his  luxuriant  pasture,  eyes  half 


The  Strenuous  Life  Spiritual  51 

closed  in  ecstatic  satisfaction,  chewing  his  cud  with 
most  supreme  contentment  and  happiness! 

Oh,  the  beast! 

But  then,  man  of  the  lower  self,  what  next  ? 

On  the  other  hand,  the  man  who  has  battled  vali- 
antly for  the  supremacy  of  his  higher  self  and  who 
has  conquered,  will  enjoy  privileges  of  a  nature 
utterly  incomprehensible  to  the  animal  man.  He 
will  become  conscious  of  the  universality  as  well  as 
of  the  oneness  of  all  life,  and  he  will  realize  that  he 
is  an  integral  part  of  it.  As  a  result  of  this  higher 
consciousness  he  will  nurture  large  sympathies  for 
all  things  created,  and  a  heart  full  of  love  for  his 
own  species — his  fellow  men.  He  will  be  tolerant, 
charitable,  and  forgiving  toward  all  shortcomings, 
except  toward  his  own.  Nature  will  appear  beauti- 
ful to  him  in  all  her  aspects,  and  he  will  discern  the 
wisdom  of  her  varied  manifestations.  He  will  find 
poetry  in  the  flowers,  the  mountains  and  the  breeze. 
All  sunsets  will  be  glowing  to  him,  the  stars  re- 
splendent; he  will  ask  of  them  their  secrets.  The 
ripples  of  the  brook  will  murmur  mysterious  sym- 
phonies to  him,  and  the  wind,  playing  in  the  leaves 
of  the  forest  trees,  will  touch  his  heart  with  sweet 
whisperings.  The  solemn  chant  of  the  ocean  will  up- 
lift his  soul  to  the  mighty  powers  that  be,  and  he 
will  give  adoration  to  the  omnipotent  author  of  all 
the  marvels  of  creation. 

He  will  suffer  with  the  poor,  console  the  widow, 


52  The  Strenuous  Life  Spiritual 

laugh  with  the  children.  His  heart  will  be  a  reser- 
voir of  sunshine,  and  from  his  whole  being  will  radi- 
ate an  atmosphere  of  love  and  contentment,  whose 
vivifying  and  beneficent  influence  will  be  felt  by  all 
those  who  are  privileged  to  come  in  contact  with  him. 
His  life  will  be  like  a  song,  a  hymn,  full  of  un- 
ending satisfaction,  for  he  feels  himself  in  touch  with 
the  Infinite.  The  whispers  of  the  spheres  will  be 
understood  by  him,  and  he  will  be  aware  of  the  pro- 
tection from  those  above,  which  he  will  feel  to  hover 
over  him  at  all  times.  The  voice  of  the  Father  will 
speak  to  him  in  his  heart,  the  supreme  blessedness 
of  the  holy  ones  will  be  with  him  ever,  for  he  will  be 
like  unto  a  child  of  God. 

Discipline  of  the  Lower  Self 

[And  now  what  will  be  required  of  our  disciple  so 
that  he  may  attain  to  that  state  of  blessedness  here 
on  earth.  What  weapons  will  he  call  to  his  aid  in 
order  to  conquer  his  bitterest  antagonist — his  lower 
self?  And  still  this  lower  self  is  not  his  bitter 
enemy ;  it  is  to  be  compared  solely  to  a  truant  boy 
entirely  undisciplined,  who  uses  the  exuberance  of 
his  vitality  to  play  mischievous  pranks,  who  gives 
full  sway  to  his  youthful  impulses,  gratifies  all  his 
appetites  without  the  least  thought  for  the  conse- 
quences which  are  bound  to  follow.  In  fine,  the 
lower  self  is  a  truant  boy  who  detests  going  to  school, 


The  Strenuous  Life  Spiritual  53 

shuns  his  teacher,  speaks  even  disparagingly  of  him, 
and  ridicules  his  teachings  at  every  opportunity. 

Now  what  this  truant  boy  or  lower  self  most  needs 
is  a  good  lesson  in  discipline,  administered  by  a 
losing  but  strong  hand,  sympathetic  advice,  encour- 
aging words,  all  holding  forth  the  promise  of  glorious 
reward  when  full  obedience  shall  be  cordially  granted. 

The  lower  self,  then,  brought  to  reason  and  under- 
standing, will  cease  to  be  the  higher  self's  opponent ; 
will,  instead,  become  his  ally,  his  handmate  in  the 
working  out  of  his  high  destiny.  The  youthful 
spirits  of  the  truant  boy  will  give  vigor  and  enthu- 
siasm to  the  higher  self.  From  this  time  on,  truant 
no  longer,  he  will  become  a  docile  pupil  of  the  higher 
self,  will  gradually  appreciate  the  beauties  of  the 
doctrines  held  forth  by  his  teacher,  and  finally  love 
him  and  give  him  willing  obedience. 

Henceforth  teacher  and  pupil  will  work  together 
hand  in  hand,  heart  to  heart,  soul  to  soul,  for  the 
joint  spiritual  evolution  of  their  combined  selves; 
separate  no  longer,  yea,  constituting  forthwith  but 
one  self — the  higher  self,  the  spiritual  self,  the  su- 
preme self. 

Now  the  lower  or  terrestrial  self  has  entered  into 
full  consciousness  of  his  other  self,  his  higher,  nobler, 
his  Godly  self,  and  slowly,  gradually,  becomes  im- 
merged,  absorbed  in  it.  It  now  enters  into  its  final 
spiritualization  and  may  enjoy,  in  full  force  of  soul, 


54  The  Strenuous  Life  Spiritual 

the  glorious  attributes  and  powers  of  the  illuminati 
or  holy  ones. 

The  first  lesson  to  be  learned  by  the  lower  self  is 
the  universality  of  life.  That  there  is  in  reality  but 
one  life  and  that  we  are  a  part  of  it.  That  we  are  re- 
lated to  all  other  creations  which,  with  ourselves, 
constitute  the  one  life.  Consequently,  it  becomes  im- 
perative that  we  should  nourish  in  our  hearts  a  feel- 
ing of  kinship  with  all  the  multifarious  creations  in 
existence  —  Wishing  them  well,  in  fact  according 
them,  whomsoever  or  whatsoever  they  may  be,  the 
warm  sympathies  of  our  heart. 

In  our  daily  relations  with  our  fellow  man,  be  he 
high  or  low,  we  must  come  to  realize  that  within  him 
exist  the  very  same  spiritual  ions  that  dwell  within 
ourselves;  that,  in  time,  those  ions  now  existing  in 
separate  bodies  and  dominated  by  different  wills, 
must  needs  one  day  be  united  in  the  embrace  of  the 
most  tender  love  and  friendship,  and  form,  for  their 
mutual  protection,  an  offensive  and  defensive  alli- 
ance; in  fact,  must  all  be  in  closest  affinity  before 
they  may  be  permitted  to  approach  the  divine  sphere 
of  pure  spirit. 


CHAPTER  V 

ENVIRONMENT ITS  INFLUENCE 

Environment  has  a  decided  influence  upon  the 
soul,  either  for  good  or  for  evil.  If  that  companion- 
ship which  everyday  life  forces  upon  us  is  congenial ; 
if  the  aims,  thoughts  and  ideals  of  our  forced  com- 
panions are  in  harmony  with  our  own  ideals,  with 
those  we  make  constant  efforts  to  attain,  then  the 
upward  march  is  a  journey  of  joy — is  one  of  unin- 
terrupted progress.  Hand  in  hand,  heart  to  heart, 
soul  to  soul,  the  pilgrims  lives  are  a  happy  and  exul- 
tant ascendant  and  the  bliss  of  heaven  is  upon  them. 

Unfortunately,  however,  these  harmonious  condi- 
tions are  seldom  met.  In  the  world  as  it  now  exists 
psychological  science  is  not  yet  understood  by  ordi- 
nary intelligent  people.  They  think  it  is  a  visionary 
science  without  foundation;  in  fact,  full  of  danger 
to  the  mind,  giving  rise  to  vagaries  and  to  more  or 
less  insane  notions ;  that  it  upsets  the  simplest  duties 
of  life  and  has  a  tendency  to  weaken  the  family 
ties.  With  such  ideas  in  mind  it  is  not  at  all  strange 
that  as  soon  as  a  member  of  a  family  manifests  inter- 
est in  psychological  research  it  too  often  causes  the 
other  members  to  look  upon  him  with  misgivings, 

55 


56  The  Strenuous  Life  Spiritual 

apprehensive  of  a  weakening  and  later  of  a  tearing 
asunder  of  the  sacred  family  ties,  of  the  creation 
of  inharmony  between  parents  and  children,  between 
man  and  wife. 

It  is  most  unfortunate  that  this  prejudice  should 
really  exist.  It  makes  the  upward  road  of  the  one 
thus  isolated  one  of  painful  ascent — a  very  Calvary. 
Strenuous  and  never  relaxing  efforts  are  in  such 
cases  indispensable  to  the  pilgrim  to  keep  him  from 
agitation,  from  worry,  from  resentment  at  times ;  for 
a  calm,  peaceful  mind  is  ever  necessary  to  spiritual 
growth.  Often,  very  often  indeed,  when  a  woman 
has  been  touched  by  the  wing  of  the  infinite,  her  soul 
set  to  vibrate  by  suggestions  from  above,  her  husband 
does  not  sympathize  with  her  new  belief.  Soon,  upon 
hearing  her  express  new  and  elevated  thoughts,  a 
little  out  of  the  ordinary  for  him  perhaps,  he  looks 
upon  her  with  misgivings,  and  when  he  gradually 
perceives  that  his  wife  becomes  more  and  more  inter- 
ested in  her  new  investigations  these  misgivings  are 
converted  into  a  real  opposition,  and  perhaps  into  a 
disdainful  and  pronounced  antagonism.  The  situa- 
tion thus  made  is  certainly  very  painful  to  a  sensi- 
tive woman,  and  there  lurks  the  danger  that  through 
the  incessant  vexations  which  he  heaps  upon  her,  the 
love  she  bears  to  her  husband  may  be  turned  into 
contempt  and  into  an  equally  strong  antagonism. 
The  affectionate  family  relation  is  then  obliterated, 
the  upward  progress  of  the  soul  stifled  through  con- 


The  Strenuous  Life  Spiritual  57 

stant  agitation  and  worry.  Just  here  at  this  turning 
point  is  where  the  strenuous  spiritual  life  must  com- 
mence to  assert  itself  by  inaugurating  in  the  devotee 
a  relentless  discipline  against  self;  yea,  a  life  of 
sacrifice  of  self. 

A  case  in  point  comes  to  mind.  A  married  lady, 
the  wife  of  a  prominent  business  man,  had  for  several 
years  been  investigating  psychological  science.  Her 
investigations  had  been  induced,  as  is  generally  the 
case,  by  hearing  wonderful  discourses  by  trance 
speakers  of  high  spiritual  development.  She  had 
paid  only  a  passing  attention  to  these  stories  of  won- 
derful revelations  by  mediums  until  one  day  she 
lost  her  favorite  child,  a  boy  fourteen  years  old,  the 
sweetest  lad  imaginable,  and  giving  promise  of  noble 
mind  and  heart,  of  developing  into  a  most  worthy 
specimen  of  manhood.  Then,  heartbroken,  the  poor 
mother  assisted  at  a  few  public  seances,  later  at 
private  sittings  and  further  on  at  circles  in  private 
families  of  respectability;  all  of  which,  both  false 
and  true,  had  persuaded  her  that  somewhere  beyond 
this  earth  are  spheres  where  new  life  exists,  new 
activities  take  place,  and  into  which,  after  our  earthly 
death  we  will  be  ushered,  there  to  work  out  new 
destinies  through  aeons  of  ages.  This  lady  was  a 
very  sweet  woman  with  a  sensibility  highly  de- 
veloped, and  her  studies  of  psychological  forces  be- 
came more  and  more  attractive  to  her. 

Her  husband  was  much  absorbed  in  his  business, 


58  The  Strenuous  Life  Spiritual 

but  a  good  provider.  Their  entire  fortune  came  from 
the  wife,  but  he  was  withal  a  nice  kind  of  a  husband 
as  the  world  nowadays  would  judge.  His  wife,  in  the 
beginning,  confided  to  him  her  new  investigations  and 
the  wonderful  things  she  had  witnessed.  The  good 
husband  listened  to  it  all,  without  much  interest,  it  is 
true,  but  quite  politely  and  with  resignation.  Things 
ran  on  smoothly  for  a  long  time  until  one  evening, 
at  the  club  frequented  by  the  husband,  the  subject  of 
Spiritualism  and  Theosophy  became  the  theme  of 
conversation.  Various  opinions,  pro  and  con,  were 
exchanged,  until  a  doctor  of  repute,  in  an  authorita- 
tive manner,  emitted  the  opinion  that  all  these  in- 
vestigations invariably  sooner  or  later  lead  to  in- 
sanity; that  any  person  who  seriously  interests  him- 
self in  occult  pursuits,  gives,  thereby,  incontestable 
proof  of  a  feeble  mind,  of  incipient  insanity.  The 
husband  of  our  sweet  lady,  much  agitated  by  this 
statement,  managed  before  leaving  the  club  to  see 
the  doctor  alone  for  a  few  minutes,  during  which  he 
asked  him  whether  he  meant,  in  earnest,  what  he  had 
stated  concerning  the  sanity  of  the  people  investi- 
gating those  unseen  forces.  The  doctor's  answer 
came  in  an  emphatic  "Yes." 

The  distressed  husband  then  confided  to  him  that 
his  wife  was  very  much  interested  in  occult  research. 
"Keep  her  away  from  it  by  all  means ;  she  will  surely 
get  crazy,"  he  responded  in  a  positive  tone  of  voice. 
From  that  moment  the  manners  of  the  good  husband 


The  Strenuous  Life  Spiritual  59 

changed  gradually  toward  his  sweet  wife.  When,  in 
the  overflow  of  soul,  she  related  to  him  some  new  ex- 
periences, some  new  inspirations  which  had  grown 
higher  and  loftier  all  the  time,  he  opposed  her  by 
saying  that  all  this  was  nonsense ;  that  he  was  afraid 
she  had  become  the  prey  of  tricksters.  Later  on,  he 
asserted  that  she  had  put  her  common  sense  entirely 
aside,  that  she  had  become  a  visionary  through  ex- 
cessive brain  excitement,  that  her  mind  created  the 
wonderful  things  she  related.  Later  on,  again,  he 
suggested  that  she  had  better  quit  all  these  non- 
sensical pursuits  or  that  she  would  surely  lose  her 
mind;  that  a  prominent  doctor  had  very  seriously 
told  him  so;  that  she  should  remain  faithful  to  the 
religion  of  her  youth  without  trying  any  further  to 
delve  into  the  mysteries  of  the  hereafter,  which  should 
be  as  sufficient  to  her  as  it  had  been  to  her  parents 
and  to  her  ancestors,  who  had  all  been  reputed  good, 
honest  and  devoted  men  and  women. 

From  that  time  the  life  of  the  dear  lady  became 
almost  unbearable,  at  times  desperate.  The  sym- 
pathy and  affection  which  her  heart  so  ardently 
craved  were  denied  to  her  on  all  sides.  What  should 
she  do?  What  could  she  do?  Her  husband,  whom 
she  still  dearly  loved,  manifested  a  constant  antagon- 
ism toward  her;  sometimes  real  harshness.  Her  two 
boys,  in  business  with  their  father,  partook  of  the 
feelings  of  the  latter,  and  the  mother  could  read,  in 
their  eyes,  the  misgivings  which  filled  their  hearts. 


60  The  Strenuous  Life  Spiritual 

She  felt  she  would  die  if  she  had  to  continue  the  sad 
life  made  for  her  by  her  husband  and  children.  She 
asked  again — what  could  she  do?  What  should 
she  do? 

The  idea  of  a  divorce  from  the  man  she  still  loved 
caused  her  to  shudder.  A  legal  separation?  This 
could  be  secured  easily  enough,  for  the  fortune  of 
the  family  was  hers  personally. 

Or,  as  a  last  resort,  to  end  all  her  miseries  at  once, 
take  a  dose  of  chloroform  ?  To  all  these  suggestions 
she  opposed  a  firm  no.  She  became  ill,  and  so 
seriously  that  she  was  advised  to  go  to  a  certain 
summer  resort  in  the  mountains.  She  went.  The 
bracing  air,  the  delicious  spring  water,  brimful  of 
earth's  radio-activity  or  electroide,  as  Mr.  Rhyn- 
koski  would  name  it,  which  could  be  seen  condensed 
in  white  vapor  on  the  water  in  cool  early  mornings, 
helped  her  much  toward  recuperating  her  health. 


CHAPTER  VI 


HIS    HONOR   THE   JUDGE 


Our  invalid  lady  made  a  few  acquaintances  at  the 
springs.  She  visited  one  family  living  next  door 
to  her  own  cottage,  composed  of  an  elderly  gentle- 
man, his  daughter  and  her  two  children,  who  were 
really  cultured  and  enjoyable  people.  The  head  of 
this  family  was  a  distinguished  gentleman,  well 
known  in  the  State,  and  the  author  of  several  success- 
ful books  treating  of  science  and  religion,  trying  to 
harmonize  both.  He  was  a  retired  Justice  of  the 
Supreme  Court  and  had  been  on  the  bench  of  many 
Superior  Courts  for  nearly  thirty  years. 

His  honor  the  Judge  had  remarkably  fine  features, 
a  kind  eye,  a  sweet  mouth,  large  forehead,  all  en- 
circled with  beautiful  white  hair  and  beard.  Age 
about  seventy,  figure  tall  and  erect  when  walking ;  in 
reality  a  venerable  and  lovable  personality. 

Our  lady,  whom  we  will  name  Mrs.  Peterson,  and 
his  honor  were  acquainted  but  a  short  time  before 
each  sensed  the  soul  of  the  other,  discovered  that 
both  had  many  feelings  in  common,  the  same  aspira- 
tions. Later,  they  found  that  their  ideals  ran  on 
parallel  lines,  and,  additionally,  through  a  little  un- 

61 


62  The  Strenuous  Life  Spiritual 

guarded  word  here,  an  ill-suppressed  sigh  there,  and 
perhaps  a  futile  tear  in  the  lady's  eye  furtively 
brushed  away,  that  a  secret  sorrow  lay  burrowed  in 
the  heart  of  each ;  yea,  that  suffering  was  not  or  had 
not  been  unknown  to  them. 

In  truth  they  were  both  orphaned  souls.  The 
Judge  was  very  unhappily  mated.  His  wife,  al- 
though a  scion  of  the  bluest  American  blood,  a  direct 
descendant  of  one  of  the  noted  Puritan  families,  was 
after  all  a  commonplace  woman,  intellectually  speak- 
ing; certainly  she  dressed  well,  possessed  fine  man- 
ners, was  kind-hearted  toward  her  acquaintances, 
especially  toward  those  who  flattered  her.  Her  de- 
votion to  her  children  and  grandchildren  was  un- 
limited. Toward  her  good  and  noble  husband,  how- 
ever, she  manifested  a  constant  antagonism.  This, 
became  apparent  to  Mrs.  Peterson  during  a  short 
visit  to  the  Judge's  wife,  made  at  the  resort.  She 
showed  herself  most  affectionate  to  her  daughter  and 
ber  children,  but  was  most  indifferent  toward  her 
husband;  even  sometimes  discourteous.  His  honor, 
however,  seemed  not  to  take  cognizance  of  her  im- 
polite behavior  or  capricious  moods.  He  was  ever 
polite  to  her,  attentive  to  her  wishes,  and  often  sent 
flowers  to  her  room. 

Mrs.  Peterson  was  at  her  wit's  end  to  understand 
the  Judge's  behavior  toward  his  wife.  She  cold, 
discourteous,  often  a  little  aggressive ;  he  calm,  peace- 
ful, unmindful  of  her  heartless  behavior,  often  put- 


The  Strenuous  Life  Spiritual  63 

ting  himself  to  some  inconvenience  to  perform  a  kind 
act  that  he  realized  would  please  her,  but  at  the  same 
time  aware  that  she  would  never  acknowledge  the 
good  intent;  still  he  appeared  happy  in  doing  these 
kind  acts,  bestowing  these  little  favors. 

The  Judge's  wife  returned  to  the  city.  Mrs.  Peter- 
son and  the  Judge  met  again.  Their  acquaintance 
continued  pleasantly,  growing  more  intimate,  both 
being  anxious  to  open  their  hearts  to  each  other.  The 
opportunity  came,  as  it  always  comes  to  two  con- 
genial souls  desiring  to  confide  their  mutual  feelings, 
be  they  of  hope,  of  happiness,  or  of  suffering. 

The  Judge  asked  Mrs.  Peterson  how  she  liked  his 
wife.    Her  hesitation  to  answer  caused  him  to  smile. 

"Well,"  volunteered  the  Judge,  "I  read  your 
thought.  No,  my  dear  wife  does  not  entertain  much, 
sympathy  for  me.  She  simply  detests  my  literary 
work.  You  have  read  the  books  I  have  published. 
They  treat  of  the  higher  life,  of  the  philosophy  of 
universal  religion ;  they  endeavor  to  study  in  a  scien- 
tific spirit  the  hitherto  unknown  forces  of  the  uni- 
verse. My  good  wife  thinks  this  is  all  moonshine, 
as  she  calls  it,  merely  a  loss  of  time  which  could  be 
profitably  bestowed  upon  more  serious  matters  be- 
longing to  this  present  world." 

The  good  old  gentleman  went  on  pointing  out  the 
reasons  for  his  wife's  antagonism  to  him.  He  ex- 
plained, with  some  signs  of  emotion,  how  her  be- 
havior toward  him  had  nearly  broken  his  heart  at 


64  The  Strenuous  Life  Spiritual 

first,  how  much  he  had  suffered.  However,  he  was 
happy  to  be  able  to  state  that  now  his  suffering  had 
ceased,  that  his  soul  was  at  peace.  He  had  arrived  at 
that  state  of  mind,  through  a  course  of  discipline 
more  or  less  strenuous,  which  at  last  leads  to  a  spirit- 
ual life,  affording  contentment  and  peace. 

The  Judge  perceived  tears  filling  Mrs.  Peterson's 
eyes.  The  kind-hearted  gentleman  took  both  hands 
of  the  lady,  covering  them  with  his  big  broad  palms, 
and  still  moved  by  his  own  recital,  asked  in  a  sym- 
pathetic voice  why  those  tears  ? 

Poor  Mrs.  Peterson  then  opened  her  heart  to  him. 
She  told  her  own  story  in  full,  terminating  it  by 
stating  that  the  Judge's  own  books,  which  she  had 
perused  several  times,  had  been  greatly  instrumental 
in  causing  her  to  follow  the  path  of  the  higher  spirit- 
ual life.  "And  now,  dear  Judge,"  she  added,  "I 
would  earnestly  ask  of  you,  after  having  gone  your- 
self through  all  the  agonies  I  am  at  present  under- 
going, how  and  by  what  means  have  you  succeeded 
in  attaining  that  peace  of  soul  you  seem  to  possess, 
and  the  indication  of  which  is  impressed  upon  all 
your  features  ?" 

"Here  are  the  means,  my  child,"  answered  the 
venerable  Judge,  with  a  slight  accent  of  solemnity  in 
his  voice,  "that  have  helped  me  to  overcome  the  suf- 
fering of  my  poor  heart.  They  are  efficacious,  they 
are  within  every  one's  reach.    Avail  yourself  of  them 


The  Strenuous  Life  Spiritual  65 

as  I  did,  they  will  help  you  as  they  helped  me,  I 
am  certain." 

The  good  Judge,  then,  in  an  impressive  manner 
related  the  following  rules  of  moral  discipline  to  his 
very  attentive  and  profoundly  interested  listener : 

"To  make  myself  well  understood  and  to  make 
plain  the  rules  which  helped  me  to  peace  of  soul  I 
must  go  back  a  few  years,  perhaps  revert  to  the 
period  when  my  heart  was  lacerated  by  my  wife's 
behavior  toward  me,  full  of  sarcasm  and  continued 
discourtesy.  At  one  time  I  was  almost  desperate. 
I  grew  ill.  The  doctors  advised  a  trip  to  the  Ha- 
waiian islands.  I  embarked.  The  trip  restored  my 
health  tolerably  well.  The  ocean  breezes  and  the 
quietness  of  the  voyage  calmed  my  ruffled  spirits  to 
the  extent  that  I  was  able  to  canvass  with  consider- 
able calmness  my  actual  mental  condition. 

"Often  did  I  question  myself  whether  the  cause 
of  this  harmony  did  not  rest  within  me  alone.  What 
could  well  be  the  matter  with  myself?  My  wife  I 
was  bound  to  confess  was  a  very  tender-hearted 
woman,  sacrificing  herself  to  her  children  but  most 
especially  to  her  grandchildren.  She  was  surely  a 
good  woman,  but  why  that  antagonism  toward  me  ? 

"In  all  honesty  I  was  obliged  to  confess  that  my 
constant  efforts  were  directed  to  keep  harmony  in 
the  family,  that  I  forgot  myself  at  every  opportunity 
to  oblige  my  wife,  but  to  no  avail.  It  became  only 
too  plain  to  me  that  I  had  no  place  in  her  thoughts, 


66  The  Strenuous  Life  Spiritual 

and  of  course  nearly  all  the  demonstrations  of  af- 
fection vouchsafed  by  the  children  were  given  to 
my  wife  alone. 

"Still  I  may  assure  you  that  my  heart  craved  for  a 
little  affection.  The  older  we  get  the  more  our  poor 
hearts  desire  some  slight  return  for  the  many  years 
of  loving  care  and  the  sacrifices,  joyfully  made,  for 
the  bringing  up  and  educating  our  beloved  ones  so 
dear  to  us. 

"Well,"  continued  the  good  old  gentleman,  over- 
coming the  emotions  betrayed  by  his  voice,  "on  the 
steamer  I  tried  to  think  out  a  course  of  practical 
philosophy,  the  rules  of  which  when  faithfully  fol- 
lowed I  sincerely  believed  would  bring  some  peace 
to  my  anguished  and  often  distracted  mind. 

"After  a  thorough  and  honest  diagnosis  of  our 
domestic  relations  I  was  forced  to  acknowledge,  most 
reluctantly,  however,  that  my  wife's  conduct  toward 
me  was  neither  just  nor  right,  indeed  was  really 
cruel  at  times,  while  constantly  humiliating. 

"I  decided  to  look  at  the  matter  in  a  cool-headed, 
common-sense  way  and  try  to  judge  things  as  they 
actually  were. 

"My  wife  has  no  sympathy  for  me  I  said  to  my- 
self; that  is  evident.  She  does  not  recognize  any 
merit  in  me,  shows  not  even  the  least  consideration 
for  my  position  in  life,  even  speaks  disparagingly  of 
me  to  my  friends  and  neighbors.  What  shall  I  do? 
Get  a  divorce  ?    A  seperation  ?  or  stand  on  my  rights 


The  Strenuous  Life  Spiritual  G7 

as  head  of  the  family  and  compel  her  to  obey  me 
and  henceforth  live  as  dogs  and  cats?  No,  I  could 
never  have  assumed  that  role,  my  heart  would  have 
revolted  at  such  proceedings. 

"I  felt,  however,  that  in  all  necessity  I  should 
soon  arrive  at  a  situation  capable  of  affording  me 
peace  of  mind  in  some  degree.  Without  such  peace 
all  spiritual  progress  would  be  impossible,  my  soul 
would  be  at  a  standstill  through  deprivation  of  all 
spiritual  aspirations  and  effort.  Rather  than  live 
such  a  life  I  should  want  to  die. 

"After  much  thought  and  perhaps  a  few  tears 
here  and  there  I  arrived  at  what  I  thought  a  prac- 
tical philosophical  conclusion  by  arguing  in  the  fol- 
lowing manner :  If  I  demand  and  I  expect  to  obtain 
from  my  wife  that  which  it  is  impossible  for  her 
to  grant,  because  her  nature  does  not  possess  it,  then 
I  am  wrong  in  asking  for  what  she  cannot  give.  Con- 
tinuing my  reasoning  in  a  way  of  illustration  I  said 
to  myself:  If  I  expect  that  a  common  sour  apple 
will  give  me  the  flavor  of  a  pineapple,  and  the  com- 
mon sour  apple  does  not  give  me  the  flavor  of  the 
pineapple  expected  from  it,  then,  no  blame  can  attach 
to  the  sour  apple;  all  the  blame  must  rest  with  me 
for  having  expected  from  this  sour  apple  a  quality 
it  does  not  possess,  hence  could  not  grant.  In  all 
justice,  moreover,  I  should  acknowledge  that  the 
common  sour  apple  is  endowed  with  certain  good 
qualities  esteemed  by  some  persons  and  in  apprecia- 


68  The  Strenuous  Life  Spiritual 

tion  of  these  I  should  respect  the  sour  apple,  al- 
though its  acrid  acidity  may  be  highly  repulsive  to 
me,  for  it  has  a  right  to  existence  and  to  the  at- 
tributes and  characteristics  inherent  in  that  ex- 
istence. 

"I  gave  much  thought  to  this  practical  theme,  and 
the  justice  of  it  grew  steadily  in  my  mind.  Gradu- 
ally a  certain  degree  of  tranquillity  took  possession 
of  me.  Life  became  more  bearable  in  measure  as  I 
applied  the  rule  more  faithfully  toward  my  wife. 
I  grew  more  tolerant,  took  less  note  of  her  eccen- 
tricities, had  increased  patience,  and  avoided  strenu- 
ously giving  utterance  to  any  word  she  might  con- 
strue as  antagonistic  to  her,  as  she  was  wont  to  do." 

Dear  Mrs.  Peterson's  black  eyes  shone  with  a  ray 
of  hope  as  the  narration  of  the  Judge's  story  pro- 
ceeded. She  realized  profoundly  the  struggles  to 
which  he  had  been  subjected,  and  admired  the  vic- 
tory he  had  won  over  them. 

"Well,  your  honor,"  she  exclaimed,  "I  appreciate 
your  philosophy  and  your  courage.  I  understand 
fully  the  strenuous  efforts  you  have  been  obliged  to 
make  to  arrive  at  the  point  you  have  now  attained, 
giving  you  considerable  peace  and  a  large  degree  of 
contentment.  However,  you  could  not  have  reached 
this  condition,  which  I  would  characterize  as  one  of 
indifference,  without  being  obliged  to  close  your 
heart  and  stifle  your  finest  feelings  toward  your 
wife,  whom  you  say  you  still  love !" 


The  Strenuous  Life  Spiritual  69 

"Yes,  I  do  love  her  still,  notwithstanding  her  oft- 
expressed  ill-feelings  toward  me,  for  I  can  never 
forget  that  she  is  the  mother  of  my  children  and, 
as  such,  I  owe  her  and  will  give  her  at  all  times 
sympathy,  respect,  and  protection. 

"Often,"  continued  the  good  Judge  with  a  deep 
sigh,  "when  she  really  hurts  me  in  my  tenderest  feel- 
ings and  I  feel  like  revolting  against  her  uncalled- 
for  tyranny,  I  always  succeed,  sometimes  after 
quite  an  effort  it  is  true,  in  stifling  any  aggressive 
demonstration  by  recalling  to  my  mind,  as  vividly 
as  I  can,  the  days  of  our  youth,  when  we  began  our 
career  in  life  together.  We  were  not  rich  and  we 
had  many  obstacles  to  overcome.  In  those  days  of 
worry,  she  was  really  my  consoling  angel.  Her  piano 
had  changed  to  a  washboard.  The  hours  she  could 
wrench  from  the  care  of  the  children  and  the  house- 
hold duties  she  bestowed  upon  embroidery  and  many 
kinds  of  fancy  work.  These  she  took  personally  to 
the  stores  and  I  will  never  forget  the  gleam  of  cheer- 
fulness on  her  face,  when  she  opened  her  little  hand 
before  me,  exhibiting  the  coins  her  industry  had 
earned. 

"This  and  similar  remembrances  are  always  a 
sure  antidote  to  any  aggressive  or  outward  expression 
of  hurt  feelings  her  heartless  manner  sometimes  re- 
suscitates in  me.  And  I  should  very  seriously  coun- 
sel any  one  in  my  or  your  position  to  use  the  same 


70  The  Strenuous  Life  Spiritual 

method — The  remembrance  of  the  kind  deeds  of  the 
past." 

"I  like  this  better,"  answered  Mrs.  Peterson,  "than 
the  sour-apple  theory.  In  regard  to  my  own  case  I 
think  I  still  have  some  love  for  my  husband,  regard- 
less of  his  heartless  and  inconsiderate  conduct  to- 
ward me.  I  could  never  call  the  poor  boy  a  sour 
apple  or  a  persimmon,  though  that  he  surely  is,  and 
he  often  hurts  me  in  my  most  sacred  feelings.  May 
the  Almighty  protect  me  and  protect  you,  dear 
friend,  and  give  us  courage  and  divine  forbearance. " 

"Amen!"  added  the  Judge. 

Then  he  seemed  to  enter  into  meditation  for  a 
moment,  after  which  he  continued  his  narration  to 
Mrs.  Peterson. 

"Your  reflection  concerning  the  sour  apple  is  a 
just  one. 

'After  I  had  adopted  that  sour-apple  theory  and 
had  adapted  it  to  my  every-day  life,  certainly  a  fair 
degree  of  contentment  came  to  me,  but  sometimes 
I  surmised  it  was  mostly  due  to  indifference.  I  was 
not  really  happy,  although  I  often  thought  I  was. 
Something  within  me  whispered  to  my  inner  ear 
that  the  rule  of  life  I  had  adopted  was  a  selfish  one, 
deprecatory,  humiliating  to  my  wife,  and,  realizing 
this  to  be  true,  I  felt  unhappy  at  times. 

"An  occult  saying  sets  forth  that  when  the  disci- 
ple is  ready  the  teacher  appears,  and  true  it  proved  in 
my  case.    By  mere  chance,  as  it  were,  a  book  came 


The  Strenuous  Life  Spiritual  71 

into  my  hand,  explaining  in  a  most  intelligent  and 
simple  way,  the  philosophy  of  the  universal  life. 
It  was  a  treatise  on  the  philosophy  and  faiths  of  the 
Yogis  in  India.  They  believe  in  a  universal  life  of 
all  things  in  existence.  That  we  all  belong  to  one 
life;  are,  each  one  of  us,  a  part  of  it  and  each  one 
occupying  a  stage,  endowed  with  greater  or  lesser 
perfections  according  to  the  degree  of  evolution  we 
have  attained.  If  a  frog  is  a  frog  ambient  condi- 
tions in  the  cosmos  have  made  him  a  frog  and  these 
same  conditions  could  have  brought  into  existence 
nothing  else  but  a  frog.  And  the  frog  has  his  use- 
fulness in  the  plan  of  creation  or  he  would  not  be. 
And  thus  it  is  with  all  other  creations  in  the  uni- 
verse, high  or  low;  all  are  the  result  of  circum- 
stances, of  environment,  either  material  in  the  lower 
creations  or  moral  in  the  higher.  Hence  their  ex- 
istence is  legitimate  and,  whatever  that  existence 
chances  to  be,  it  has  a  right  to  work  out  the  special 
idiosyncrasies  appertaining  to  it;  they  are  inherent 
in  its  nature  and  as  such  must  be  considered. 

"I  gradually  grew  to  realize  that  we  are  all  a 
part  of  that  universal  life,  each  one  carrying  his  or 
its  own  characteristics  and  special  attributes  to 
which  he  or  it  is  perfectly  entitled.  Of  course," 
said  the  Judge,  smiling,  "a  sour  apple  is  still  a  sour 
apple,  but  it  has  a  perfect  right  to  be  a  sour  apple, 
and  it  is  not  our  privilege  to  blame  it  for  being  sour. 


72  The  Strenuous  Life  Spiritual 

We  have  the  right,  however,  not  to  like  its  taste  and 
to  discard  it." 

Mrs.  Peterson  returned  the  knowing  smile  of  the 
Judge. 

"But  again,  concerning  my  wife,"  continued  his 
honor.  "I  tried,  and  I  think  I  succeeded,  in  my  ef- 
forts to  apply  this  philosophy  to  my  behavior  to- 
ward her.  I  had  become  convinced  that  she,  as  well  as 
ourselves,  all  occupy  our  own  legitimate  place  in  the 
evolution  of  man.  She  resides  on  a  plane  far  above 
many  people.  I  am  aware  also  that  she  is  below 
many  others,  and  so,  equally,  am  I.  Her  birth  in- 
heritance, her  environment,  have  fatally  determined 
for  her  the  place  she  actually  occupies  in  our  world. 
That  place  with  all  its  special  attributes  and  idio- 
syncracies  is  hers  in  her  full  right,  and  no  man  or 
woman  has  the  right  to  blame  her  for  occupying 
such  place,  as  she  could  not  possibly  occupy  any 
other.  Besides  all  this  she  is  blessed  with  many 
excellent  and  meritorious  qualities,  as  before  stated. 
Hence  this  my  decision  concerning  her:  I  must  re- 
spect her ;  I  must  respect  that  which  she  is.  In  my 
daily  relations  with  her,  I  would  be  unjust  to  expect 
of  her  a  conduct  or  behavior  out  of  harmony  with 
her  characteristics,  with  the  condition  of  evolution 
she  actually  occupies." 

"Such  philosophy  is  really  grand,"  admiringly 
ejaculated  Mrs.  Peterson,  "and  its  lofty  principles 
I  hope  to  readily  apply  toward  my  husband.     It  is, 


The  Strenuous  Life  Spiritual  73 

moreover,  a  safe  and  beautiful  philosophy  for  all 
men  and  women  to  apply  through  life  under  all  cir- 
cumstances in  our  daily  social  relations  with  our 
neighbors  and  acquaintances.  No  ill-feeling  can  pos- 
sibly spring  up  between  men  or  women  who  practice 
this  generous  and  eminently  just  rule  of  life.  It 
begets  the  utmost  tolerance,  a  broad  sympathy  toward 
our  inferiors  and  even  intelligent  and  forgiving 
charity  toward  those  who  try  to  hurt  or  slander  us." 
"This  reminds  me,"  continued  the  good  Judge,  "of 
a  little  incident  which  happened  a  few  weeks  ago  in 
this  very  place.  An  attorney  of  the  Supreme  Court, 
a  splendid  soul  and  a  great  heart,  was  told  by  one  of 
his  colleagues  of  a  villainous  slander  that  was  being 
spread  broadcast  in  regard  to  his  administration  of 
an  estate,  accusing  him  of  robbing  orphans,  etc.  The 
attorney,  my  friend,  whom  I  knew  to  be  entirely  in- 
nocent of  the  charges,  and  who  had  even  gone  so  far 
as  to  protect  the  interest  of  these  orphans  against 
their  hungry  relations  by  making  financial  sacri- 
fices, answered  with  much  calmness  and  dignity. 
'These  slanders  do  not  affect  me,  my  friend.  Slan- 
ders are  like  the  messages  of  wireless  telegraphy. 
There  is  the  transmitter  and  the  coherer  or  receiver. 
If  the  receiver  is  in  harmony  of  vibration  or  in  syn- 
tonism,  as  they  call  it,  with  the  transmitter  the  mes- 
sage is  received  and  recorded.  If  the  receiver  is  not 
in  harmony  of  vibration  with  the  transmitter,  the 
message  will  simply  pass  by  neither  received  nor 


74  The  Strenuous  Life  Spiritual 

noticed  by  the  receiving  instrument.  And  likewise 
it  is  with  slander/  continued  my  friend,  'it  con- 
cerns only  the  transmitter,  the  originator,  of  the 
slander  and  the  receiver  who  is  in  affinity  of  vibra- 
tion with  it.  It  does  not  concern  me  in  the  least.  If, 
however,  I  should  unfortunately  take  notice  of  the 
slander,  the  message  would  pass  through  me  and 
the  murky  and  maleficent  atmosphere  it  conveys 
would  overtake  me.  I  might  in  consequence  lose 
in  moral  worth  and  purity  of  mind,  through  angry 
mood  perhaps,  and  desire  for  retaliation.' " 

"I  admire  the  generous  philosophy  of  your 
friend,"  Mrs.  Peterson  could  not  refrain  from  con- 
fessing. "It  is,  I  think,  an  excellent  theme  for  us 
all  to  meditate  upon,  and,  above  all,  to  put  into  prac- 
tice." 

Some  More  Confidences. 

A  few  days  went  by.  The  Judge  and  Mrs.  Peter- 
son had  grown  to  be  quite  good  friends.  Each  real- 
ized that  both  had  much  in  common,  in  high  ideals 
as  well  as  in  suffering,  and  that  both  were  making 
strenuous  efforts  toward  a  true  spiritual  life. 

Meanwhile,  Mrs.  Peterson  received  a  visit  from 
her  husband.  He  found  his  wife's  health  much  im- 
proved, and  she  was  also  in  a  much  pleasanter  mood 
than  he  used  to  see  her  at  home. 

He  was  introduced  to  the  Judge,  whom  he  found 


The  Strenuous  Life  Spiritual  75 

a  very  pleasant  old  gentleman  indeed,  as  he  ex- 
pressed himself  to  his  wife. 

During  the  two  days  of  the  husband's  visit,  he  and 
the  Judge  became  quite  friendly.  A  few  moments 
before  his  departure  Mr.  Peterson  took  the  Judge 
apart  and  spoke  very  confidentially  to  him,  saying 
in  substance :  "Judge,  I  wish  to  speak  confidentially 
to  you  for  a  few  moments,  as  I  desire  to  ask  a  favor 
of  you,  though  I  must  confess  that  our  short  ac- 
quaintance seems  hardly  to  justify  my  making  the 
request.  Your  well  known  kindness,  however,  en- 
courages me  to  take  this  liberty.  You  are  a  gentle- 
man of  mature  age  and  gifted  with  rare  common 
sense,  as  I  have  been  able  to  appreciate  during  my 
short  stay  here.  You  may  render  me  an  immense 
service;  yes,  a  service  upon  which  may  depend  the 
permanent  happiness  of  both  my  wife  and  myself." 

"I  shall  be  very  happy,  indeed,"  responded  the 
Judge,  but  not  without  a  little  misgiving  about  what 
was  to  come,  "to  do  anything  in  my  power  to  render 
you  service  whenever  and  wherever  I  may.  Speak, 
Mr.  Peterson." 

Mr.  Peterson  unburdened  himself.  He  told  the 
Judge  about  his  wife's  vagaries  and  belief  in  Spirit- 
ualism, her  strange  notions  concerning  life  and  her 
attendance  at  trance-speakers'  lectures ;  he  spoke  of 
the  uncanny  books  she  read  on  Occultism,  Christian 
Science,  Buddhism,  Theosophy,  etc.  He  desired  the 
Judge  to  speak  to  his  wife  and  advise  her  to  become 


76  The  Strenuous  Life  Spiritual 

an  every-day  common-sense  woman ;  to  leave  the  next 
world  alone;  that  it  would  be  time  enough  to  busy 
with  it  when  she  would  be  there;  to  cling  to  this 
world  with  all  her  might,  so  as  not  to  lose  her  mind 
in  the  pursuit  of  senseless  vagaries  and  "moonshine" 
things.  Then,  he  whispered  most  confidentially  in 
his  ear  that  an  eminent  doctor  had  told  him  that  if 
she  did  not  quit  meddling  with  all  those  spiritual 
follies  she  would  surely  become  insane. 

The  poor  husband  was  sincere  enough  and  thor- 
oughly believed  in  the  truth  of  what  he  said. 

The  dear  old  Judge  did  not  know  what  to  answer. 
He  saw  very  well  that  it  would  be  of  no  earthly  use 
to  try  to  convince  the  husband  that  his  wife  was 
highly  justified  in  her  belief  and  that  she  was  not 
in  the  least  danger  of  insanity.  But  he  promised 
that  he  would  try  to  give  the  best  advice  possible  to 
Mrs.  Peterson.  The  good  husband  departed  in  peace 
of  mind,  recommending  to  his  wife,  in  a  last  kiss,  to 
keep  in  close  touch  with  the  old  Judge  and  to  take 
counsel  with  him.  The  good  soul  promised,  with  a 
most  lovely  smile,  that  she  would  try  as  much  as  lay 
in  her  power  to  follow  the  advice  of  the  venerable 
magistrate. 

That  same  afternoon,  when  the  Judge  and  our 
lady  were  seated  under  some  beautiful  redwood  trees 
in  a  secluded  little  nook  of  the  park  Mrs.  Peterson 
asked  his  honor  what  he  thought  of  her  husband. 

"I  have  a  good  opinion  of  him,"  he  answered. 


The  Strenuous  Life  Spiritual  77 

"He  appears  to  me  to  be  a  good  fellow,  a  thorough 
business  man,  as  the  world  goes,  entirely  absorbed 
in  material  affairs,  a  respectable  citizen  I  should 
say,  but  not  possessing  either  in  body  or  soul  the 
least  flickering  spark  of  spiritual  light,  nor  has  he 
any  desire  for  it.  On  those  grounds  you  will  never 
agree;  your  lives  will  never  run  in  parallel.  So, 
dear  Mrs.  Peterson,  you  may  as  well  make  up  your 
mind  to  live,  henceforth,  by  that  little  philosophical 
rule  we  discussed  together  the  other  day.  This  is, 
I  think,  the  only  way  that  will  enable  you  to  live  in 
peace  and  continue  your  cherished  studies  and  high 
pursuits  —  to  never  speak  about  spiritual  matters 
before  him,  in  order  not  to  irritate  him,  and  preside, 
like  every  other  lady,  over  your  household  duties 
carefully  so  as  to  please  him." 

"Oh!"  answered  his  interlocutor,  "I  have  fully 
made  up  my  mind  in  regard  to  my  line  of  conduct  in 
the  future.  I  have  given  much  thought  to  all  the 
beautiful  and  safe  rules  of  life  you  have  held  out 
to  me,  and  will  do  my  best — my  utmost — to  abide 
and  live  by  them." 

"Now,  dear  Judge,  is  it  not  utterly  regrettable 
that  such  inharmony  should  exist  between  man  and 
wife;  yea,  I  would  say  could  exist?" 


CHAPTER  VII 

IS  MARRIAGE  A  FAILURE?      IS  DIVORCE  A  CRIME 
OR  A  BENEDICTION  ? 

"When  we  enter  the  sacred  bonds  of  marriage, 
oh  what  ideals  we  erect  before  us!  Lofty  feelings 
and  poetry  permeate  us  both.  The  most  intense  de- 
votion fills  our  hearts.  We  are  ready  for  any  sac- 
rifice, ready  almost  to  die  for  each  other.  And  in- 
deed this  loving  life  goes  on  for  many  years.  It  is 
cemented  more  firmly  by  the  birth  of  children.  Alas, 
why  does  the  time  come  when  we  drift  apart  ?  And 
why  should  the  breach  ever  grow  wider  ?" 

"Yes,  dear  child,"  answered  the  Judge  in  a  pa- 
ternal tone,  to  Mrs.  Peterson,  who  had  just  uttered 
the  foregoing  inquiry  "such  is  life.  Xobody  knows 
this  sad  condition  more  thoroughly  than  an  attorney 
or  a  Judge.  Both  are  made  the  depository  of  human 
woes.  All  the  miseries  of  humanity,  of  man  and 
woman,  husband  and  wife,  are  laid  bare  before 
them. 

"After  more  than  a  quarter  of  a  century  on  the 
bench  I  may  almost  authoritatively  state  that  there 
is  a  skeleton  in  the  closet  of  every  family.  The  ex- 
ceptions are  so  very  few  that  they  may  be  neglected. 

•  78 


The  Strenuous  Life  Spiritual  79 

"Of  course,  so  long  as  the  married  couple  are 
young  and  full  of  love  they  will  always  make  up 
their  differences.  When  years  have  elapsed,  how- 
ever, the  children  grown  to  manhood  and  passion 
has  been  stilled,  differences  are  wont  to  spring  up. 
The  golden  hues  of  love  which  overspread  the  young- 
er days  have  disappeared.  The  married  couple 
reaches  by  slow  degrees  a  condition  where  each  one 
assumes  his  or  her  own  particular  individual  idio- 
syncrasies and  characteristics.  If  there  are  some 
asperities  in  the  character  of  the  one,  some  natural 
weakness  or  intolerance  in  the  other,  these,  to- 
gether with  many  other  peculiarities,  more  or  less 
unpleasant  in  both,  are  bound  to  come  to  the  surface. 
With  these  inharmonies  steadily  asserting  them- 
selves, both  necessarily  arrive,  some  day,  at  the 
conclusion  that  if  love  had  not  absolutely  blinded 
them  they  would  never  have  entertained  for  one 
moment  the  idea  of  taking  for  a  life  companion  such 
a  person  as  the  wife  or  the  husband  has  proved  to 
be ;  hence  the  radical  incompatibility. 

"And  this  picture  is,  alas,  only  too  true.  Still 
they  are  married.  They  have  solemnly  promised  to 
love  and  cherish  one  another  'until  death  doth  part 
them.'  And  there  they  are,"  exclaimed  the  Judge, 
throwing  out  his  arms  and  slapping  his  legs  with 
some  force,  perhaps  remembering  his  own  case. '  "It 
is  easily  surmised  how  painful  the  future  before 
them  will  be." 


80  The  Strenuous  Life  Spiritual 

"!N"ow,"  continued  the  good  old  gentleman,  "if  the 
married  couples  in  this  predicament  had  reached  the 
stage  of  evolution  where  they  had  become  acquainted 
with  that  little  rule  of  philosophy  of  which  we  spoke 
lately,  and  endeavored  faithfully  to  apply  it,  both 
might  get  along  nicely  and  life  would  surely  become 
bearable. 

"When  the  daily  common  duties  which  each  one 
owes  to  the  other  are  fulfilled  then  they  might  pursue 
the  ideas  or  ideals  which  they,  individually,  would 
deem  necessary  to  their  happiness,  be  these  ideals 
either  toward  the  acquisition  of  material  or  spiritual 
possessions;  and  especially  when  life's  activities  are 
directed  toward  these  latter  they  must  have  ample 
freedom  and  exercise  themselves  unhampered.  Un- 
fortunately, this  is  not  the  case  generally;  man  and 
wife,  no  matter  how  well  educated  they  may  be,  no 
matter  what  social  position  they  may  occupy,  each 
one  will  stand  by  what  he  or  she  calls  their  rights; 
each  will  incessantly  try  to  bring  the  other  to  his  or 
her  particular  way  of  thinking,  stating  that  the  other 
one  is  absolutely  wrong  and  mean,  hence  inharmony 
reigns  supreme. 

"Their  life  has  thus  grown  to  be  a  hades.  Every 
lofty  thought  becomes  impossible,  for  the  mind  is 
perpetually  occupied  with  aggressive  and  uncharit- 
able thoughts  cast  toward  each  other.  Intellectual 
as  well  as  spiritual  progress  is  arrested  and  life's 
object  is  destroyed.     The  soul  is  dead.     In  my  ex- 


The  Strenuous  Life  Spiritual  81 

perience  on  the  bench  I  have  seen  in  many  eases 
either  the  husband  or  the  wife  entirely  overpowered 
by  the  other.  If  it  be  the  wife  who  is  crushed,  as  is 
most  frequently  the  case,  the  poor  woman  bears  life's 
burden  like  a  stoic,  devoting  herself,  an  effective 
slave,  to  the  household  duties,  to  the  welfare  of  her 
children.  She  lacks  all  enthusiasm  in  her  sacrifice. 
She  knows  no  joy.  Her  life  is  without  a  ray  of 
sunshine.  Sometimes,  the  poor  soul,  almost  desper- 
ate, takes  solace  where  she  should  not. 

If  it  is  the  husband  who  is  overpowered  by  the 
wife  he  finds  his  little  comforts  outside  of  the  home, 
in  his  club;  perhaps  with  his  cups  if  he  is  of  the 
world,  worldly.  He  also  finds  solace  elsewhere  where 
he  should  not. 

"But  if  he  be  of  a  lofty  nature  he  caresses  beau- 
tiful ideals.  He  may  find  relief  in  the  higher 
studies,  trying  perhaps  to  fathom  the  hidden  forces 
of  the  universe.  These  studies  afford  him  supreme 
consolation.  Perhaps,  also,  he  may  adopt  and  apply 
our  little  practical  philosophy  toward  his  wife,  ful- 
filling manfully  his  destiny,  doing  justice  to  all  and 
shedding  sunshine  wherever  he  goeth." 

"All  this  is  very  sad,"  rejoined  Mrs.  Peterson, 
"but,  alas,  it  is  only  too  true.  Prom  all  this  it  would 
appear  that  the  experience  you  have  derived  from 
your  contact  with  the  world's  matrimonial  woes  dur- 
ing your  long  judicial  career  has  inclined  you  to 


&2  The  Strenuous  Life  Spiritual 

answer  in  the  affirmative  the  much-mooted  question 
of  to-day :  'Is  marriage  a  failure  V  " 

"To  that  question,''  replied  the  Judge,  "I  would 
give  the  same  answer  that  I  would  to  the  question 
'Is  divorce  an  evil  V  I  would  say  marriage  is  either 
a  blessing  or  a  curse  according  to  the  characteristics 
of  the  persons  contracting  it.  Divorce  is  also  either 
a  blessing  or  a  curse  according  to  the  motives  of  the 
persons  applying  for  it. 

"I  will  relate  to  you  on  that  subject  the  opinion 
of  one  of  my  colleagues  of  the  supreme  bench.  He  is 
a  little  waggishly  inclined  on  this  marriage  question, 
for  he  has  had  a  large  experience  with  divorce  cases. 

"  'Our  happiest  days/  he  used  to  say  when  in  a 
familiar  communicative  mood,  'are  passed  in  child- 
hood. Life  is  exuberant  then,  cares  unknown,  pleas- 
ures keenly  felt  and  enjoyed.  Happiness  exudes 
from  every  pore  of  life.  This  glorious  period  has  a 
duration  of  about  fifteen  years,  a  little  more  or  a  little 
less  according  to  individuals  and  climate.  This  hap- 
piness is  followed  by  a  period  of  insanity  called  love. 
Both  boys  and  girls  lose  their  heads,  reason  disap- 
pears and  gives  way  to  erratic  impulse.  They  quote 
poetry.  "The  breeze  sighs  in  the  boughs."  "The 
birds  sing  soft  lullabies  to  their  mates."  "The  flow- 
ers smile  to  heaven."  "The  stars,  angel  eyes,  wink 
at  us."  "The  brooks  murmur  sweet  ditties."  "All 
sunsets  are  glorious."  The  girl  is  an  angel.  Her 
languorous  blue  eyes  reflect  the  azure  of  the  skies. 


The  Strenuous  Life  Spiritual  83 

Her  lips  are  brilliant  coral,  her  teeth  pearls,  her 
cheeks  roses.  The  young  man  is  equally  idealized. 
He  is  a  hero  of  the  first  water.  He  looms  up  like  a 
giant  of  a  California  forest.  All  other  trees  are 
shrubs.' " 

"My  colleague  sententiously  adds :  'From  my  long 
experience  with  divorce  cases  I  freely  state  that  one 
of  the  wisest  things  the  Almighty  ever  did  was,  and 
is,  to  make  the  young  folks  a  little  crazy  before  they 
get  married,  else,  I  am  afraid,  they  would  never  get 
their  necks  into  the  noose  and  get  the  knot  tied.'  " 

Mrs.  Peterson  laughed  heartily  at  this  raw  little 
expose  of  the  opinion  of  the  Judge's  friend,  but  she 
could  not  prevent  unconsciously  letting  her  head  drop 
into  a  hardly  perceptible  nod  of  assent. 

"One  of  the  divorce  cases  my  friend  tried  on  the 
bench,"  continued  the  Judge,  "nearly  broke  his 
heart.  A  young  miss  of  very  good  parentage  had  re- 
ceived a  superior  education  in  one  of  the  foremost 
seminaries  of  the  country.  She  had  as  sweet  a  little 
soul  contained  in  as  lovely  and  beautiful  a  body  as 
the  most  gifted  poet  might  desire  to  idealize.  She 
was  as  innocent  and  pure  as  a  dewdrop,  was  gifted 
with  literary  talent,  a  very  fair  poet  herself,  besides 
being  a  talented  musician,  letting  her  dear  little  heart 
unconsciously  speak  through  the  sweet  melodies  her 
ideal  fingers  evoked. 

"Well,  when  her  education  was  finished  she  re- 
turned home,  and  of  course  her  parents,  as  all  parents 


84:  The  Strenuous  Life  Spiritual 

are  wont  to  do,  wanted  her  to  make  a  good  match, 
marry  a  fine  fellow  with  lots  of  money  and  a  young 
man  of  respectable  standing  in  society. 

"The  young  man  came  in  sight.  An  employe  of  a 
large  bank,  well-dressed,  amiable  in  mien,  distin- 
guished in  manners,  a  society  man,  a  club  man,  owner 
of  a  fast  and  stylish  horse  which  he  mounted  with 
much  grace  and  riding  ability.  Well,  apparently,  a 
very  desirable  match. 

"The  match  was  quickly  made,  for  the  parents 
brought  them  much  together;  theatre  parties,  little 
dinners,  musical  soirees,  and  the  dear,  sweet  soul,  ut- 
terly inexperienced  in  the  ways  of  the  world,  was  soon 
intoxicated  with  the  new  life  into  which  she  was 
being  ushered.  Then,  as  could  be  expected,  insanity 
set  in ;  I  mean  that  insanity  called  love.  The  young 
man  at  the  contact  of  such  lovely  innocence  got  the 
love  brain-fever  also,  and  the  marriage  between  these 
two  insane  persons  was  solemnized  with  great  pomp, 
and  all  were  happy,  parents  and  children,  and  friends, 
valets  and  maids,  dogs  and  cats  and  parrot. 

"Two  years  later  they  came  into  my  court.  The 
sweet,  dear,  beautiful,  poetical,  melodious  little  soul, 
unrecognizable;  her  face  was  pale  and  haggard,  her 
eyes  were  sunken,  her  whole  countenance  betrayed 
long  and  intense  suffering.  Her  plea  was  extreme 
cruelty.  Her  husband  had  soon  tired  of  his  sweet 
little  bird.  She  had  proven  too  tame  for  him.  He 
found  her  love  sickening.    He  was  accustomed  to  meet 


The  Strenuous  Life  Spiritual  85 

and  live  in  the  company  of  fast  and  fashionable  fel- 
lows, of  lively  society  ladies  and  others.  To  this 
brilliant  world  and  to  its  magnetic  attractions  which 
he  could  not  resist,  he  returned  slowly,  and  was  soon 
absorbed  in  its  meshes.  The  dear  little  bird,  with  her 
sweet  soul  attuned  to  the  finest  whisperings  of  nature, 
found  herself  soon  neglected ;  after  a  while  accorded 
but  scant  consideration,  and  thus,  slowly,  the  ex- 
tremely painful  conclusion  was  forced  upon  her  that 
she  was  an  obstacle  in  the  way  of  her  husband's  fast 
life.  She  bore  his  neglect,  lack  of  consideration  and 
impolite  words  bravely.  She  cried  much,  and,  at 
times,  intense  agony  caused  every  heart-string  to 
quiver.  Her  health  gave  way  by  degrees.  She  re- 
volted, however,  one  day  when  proof  was  handed  to 
her  by  one  of  her  college  friends  that  her  husband 
was  unfaithful. 

"She  related  her  trials  to  her  parents.  She  was 
their  only  child.  They  behaved  nobly.  A  suit  for 
divorce  was  instituted  and  assigned  to  my  court.  I 
granted  the  decree  of  divorce  and  gave  the  husband 
an  upbraiding,  that  if  he  has  any  spark  of  soul  left 
he  will  remember  as  long  as  he  lives,  and,  perhaps, 
afterwards. 

"I  shudder  to  think  of  the  suffering  that  dear  little 
martyred  soul  would  have  had  to  undergo  if  the  di- 
vorce law  had  not  been  on  the  statute  books. 

"After  the  divorce  was  granted  and  the  memory  of 
the  bitterness  of  the  past  two  years  somewhat  pali- 


86  The  Strenuous  Life  Spiritual 

ated,  the  little  bird  slowly  regained  her  smile,  with 
a  faint  tinge  of  sadness  in  it  perhaps.  Her  mind  re- 
turned gradually  to  her  literary  pursuits,  poetry, 
music  and  sunshine.  She  devoted  all  her  moments 
to  the  study  of  the  higher  ethics  of  life.  Her  past 
sorrows  had  qualified  her  in  an  unexampled  manner 
for  these  studies.  She  became  a  really  beautiful 
spiritual  and  noble  woman.  The  divorce  law  had 
rescued  her  soul  from  hades. 

"This,"  concluded  the  Judge's  friend,  "is  a  case 
where  divorce  comes  as  a  benediction.  Of  the  other 
side,  when  divorce  is  a  curse,  I  will  not  speak;  it  is 
too  sad  and  too  multiple." 

Our  American  girls,  receiving  generally  an  excel- 
lent education,  many  of  them  being  university  grad- 
uates, are  great  readers  of  excellent  and  often  pro- 
gressive literature.  Gradually  high  ideals  spring  up, 
and  in  measure  as  their  understanding  matures  they 
reach  a  lofty  conception  of  life  and  its  importance, 
of  their  present  duties  and  of  their  ultimate  destiny. 
They  no  longer  believe  that  they  are  created  especial- 
ly by  the  Almighty  to  serve  as  plaything  for  man, 
to  be  his  slave,  obey  him  in  all  his  whims  and  desires, 
whatever  these  may  be,  high  or  low,  or  even  repul- 
sive. 

No.  Our  American  girl  realizes  that  when  she 
marries  she  has  duties  to  perform  toward  her  hus- 
band and  also  that  her  husband  has  duties  to  per- 
form toward  her.     She  understands,  however,  that 


The  Strenuous  Life  Spiritual  87 

none  of  these  duties  should  interfere  with  the  de- 
velopment of  her  soul,  the  divine  importance  of  which 
she  more  fully  realizes  as  the  years  go  by. 

Of  course,  all  these  duties  and  soul  developments 
are  forgotten  for  a  certain  length  of  time  in  the  in- 
toxication of  newly  married  life,  but  when  this  in- 
toxication subsides  these  soul  duties  are  sure  to  spring 
up  and  come  to  the  surface,  and  God  bless  the  hus- 
band who  understands  these  soul-longings  of  his  wife, 
and  vice-versa,  for  then  the  marriage  relation  will 
turn  earth  into  a  paradise.  But  if  these  soul-long- 
ings are  antagonized,  and  ruthlessly  so,  as  is  often 
the  case,  then  life  will  become  a  hades  and  soul 
growth  be  thwarted  if  not  hopelessly  arrested. 

Just  here  a  great  responsibility  rests  upon  the 
American  girl,  for  she  may  often  be  the  cause  of 
the  disruption  of  her  home.  She  should  be  exceed- 
ingly careful  not  to  place  her  heart's  faith  wholely 
in  some  of  those  numerous  fads  parading  nowadays 
under  the  banner  of  pseudo-mysticism,  brotherhoods, 
associations,  etc.,  among  which  there  are  some  credit- 
able ones,  very  helpful  indeed,  but  many  of  which 
lead  the  soul  to  a  state  of  acute  vibration,  inordinate 
nervousness  and  unrest,  producing  unhappiness  not 
only  to  the  poor  girl  herself,  but  to  all  those  of  her 
immediate  environment.  The  foregoing  holds  true 
for  the  husband  as  well  as  for  the  wife. 

"But  you,  dear  Judge,"  Mrs.  Peterson  ventured 
to  ask,  "after  your  immense  experience  for  over  a 


88  The  Strenuous  Life  Spiritual 

quarter  of  a  century  with  unhappy  matrimonial  af- 
fairs, have  certainly  given  some  thought  to  the  prob- 
lem of  how  to  remedy  this  unhappy  condition  of 
things,  so  utterly  detrimental  to  the  happiness  abso- 
lutely necessary  to  the  betterment  of  man's  moral  and 
spiritual  condition  here  below  ?" 

"Yes,  dear  madam,  not  only  myself  but  many 
leading  attorneys  and  magistrates  have  given  much 
thought  to  this  most  momentous  matter,  in  which 
human  happiness  and  spiritual  progress  are  so  in- 
tensely interested. 

"The  members  of  every  family  which  has  a  large 
skeleton  in  its  closet,  are  loath  to  speak  of  it,  to  con- 
fess it,  and,  on  the  contrary,  avail  themselves  of  all 
possible  means  to  hide  it,  to  deceive  their  friends  as  to 
their  real  family  relations.  They  follow  the  advice 
of  Napoleon  the  First:  'Wash  your  soiled  linen  at 
home.'  So  the  world,  looking  as  we  do  only  at  the 
exterior  appearance  of  things,  is  composed  solely  of 
happy  families.  This  sad  state  of  affairs,  however,  is 
gradually  coming  to  the  surface;  it  is  being  fully 
understood,  and  when  the  evil  shall  be  exposed  to 
bright  daylight,  the  remedy  will  come.  It  is  true, 
however,  that  before  happy  relations  in  married  life 
can  become  general  the  world  must  grow  immensely 
in  morality,  and  this,  unfortunately,  is  yet  a  great 
way  off. 


CHAPTER  VIII 

HABITS  OF  THOUGHT — CELL  CLUSTERS 

"One  of  the  most  dangerous  habits,"  continued 
the  good  Judge,  centering  upon  a  new  theme,  "in 
some  cases  most  effectively  opposing  the  spiritual 
progress  of  the  soul,  is  the  thought  habit.  When  the 
mind  dwells  steadily  upon  one  subject — when  one 
thought  is  uppermost  in  it  —  that  steady  prevailing 
thought  forms  cell-clusters  in  the  brain  which  are 
like  an  ever-burning  fire,  giving  forth  an  unceasing 
stream  of  force,  pushing  itself  ever  ahead  in  the  mind 
of  the  disciple,  and  would  fain  occupy  the  entire  in- 
tellectual brain  activities  with  the  idiosyncrasies  of 
that  special  line  of  thought. 

"In  my  own  life,"  said  the  good  Judge  with  much 
earnestness,  "this  thought-habit  has  been  one  of  my 
main  characteristics  and  hindrances.  For  many 
years  I  was  brooding  daily  over  that  vexed  question 
of  marital  inharmony.  My  heart  was  much  grieved 
at  the  steady  growing  apart  of  my  wife's  ideals  and 
thoughts  from  mine.  I  had  a  sensitive  heart  and  suf- 
fered much.  I  steadily  tried  to  master  these  feelings, 
but  still  every  moment  some  little  aggressive  word 
of  my  wife  would  accentuate  these  feelings  and  thus 


90  The  Strenuous  Life  Spiritual 

gradually  a  group  of  cells  was  forming  in  my  brain, 
which  asserted  themselves  at  every  instant  suscitating 
discontentment  with  my  wife's  actions. 

"I  must  confess,  with  a  little  feeling  of  shame, 
that  up  to  this  day  these  cell-clusters  are  still  actively 
at  work,  for  at  every  unguarded  moment  these  antag- 
onistic feelings  toward  my  poor  wife  will  spring 
up.  I  have  noticed  that  almost  every  morning  while 
dressing  I  feel  myself  upbraiding  her,  lamenting  over 
her  heartlessness  and  brooding  over  the  idea  of  how 
happy  our  lives  might  have  been,  etc.  Of  course, 
after  entertaining  these  thoughts  for  a  few  minutes, 
I  realize  what  I  am  doing,  and  get  a  hearty  little 
laugh  at  the  activities  of  these  cell-clusters.  Imme- 
diately I  talk  to  them,  and  I  use  a  phrase  my  little 
boy  has  the  habit  of  applying  to  his  playmates  who 
■annoy  him :  'Go  back  to  your  cage,  you V  The  next 
morning,  however,  or  during  the  night,  they  will  get 
out  of  their  cage  and  begin  their  work  over  again. 
And  all  this  happens,  notwithstanding  that  I  cherish 
toward  my  wife  only  the  best  of  feelings.  These 
cell-clusters  evidently  have  been  growing  by  a  long 
continued  flow  of  antagonistic  thoughts  toward  my 
wife  when  I  allowed  my  feelings  to  be  hurt  by  her 
through  a  series  of  years.  This  antagonistic  thought- 
habit  is  one  of  the  greatest  hindrances  to  spiritual 
progress.  It  is  a  constant  pulling  down.  My  advice 
would  be  to  suffering  hearts  to  put  into  strenuous 
practice  at  the  earliest  stage  of  this  inharmony  the 


The  Strenuous  Life  Spiritual  91 

little  philosophical  rule  of  discipline  which  we  eluci- 
dated a  day  or  two  ago,  and  this  rule  must  be  most 
rigorously  followed  in  the  strenuous  spiritual  life. 

"No  cell-clusters  of  a  low  order  can  be  built  up 
when  we  have  no  low  or  mean  feelings.  If,  in  our 
marital  differences  we  concede  the  right  to  our  wife 
or  husband  to  harbor  feelings  which  are  a  natural 
outcome  of  their  peculiar  characteristics,  we  build, 
on  the  contrary,  a  cluster  of  cells  of  a  higher  order, 
steadily  preaching  to  us  tolerance,  forgiveness  and 
patience.  Of  course,  this  will  close  our  hearts  against 
needless  sufferings,  which  we  must  always  do  in  self- 
defense." 

The  good  old  Judge's  sound  philosophy  made  a 
deep  impression  upon  Mrs.  Peterson.  It  changed  the 
entire  course  of  her  life.  She  became  a  happy  and 
very  spiritual  woman.  Her  husband  was  brought 
slowly  back  to  her,  won  over  by  her  gentleness,  toler- 
ance, and  really  angelic  qualities. 

The  philosophy  of  the  dear  Judge  is  of  the  grand- 
est import  to  man's  daily  life  and  should  be  earnestly 
heeded  by  us  all. 

This  thought-habit  is  more  keenly  felt  as  a  de- 
cided power  in  direct  opposition  to  the  spiritual  life 
he  may  desire  to  lead  by  the  man  of  affairs  who  has 
led  an  intense  business  career.  The  constant  watch- 
fulness required  of  this  man  to  prevent  being  imposed 
upon  by  the  people  with  whom  he  has  business  trans- 
actions creates  mental  habits  of  a  stern,  selfish  na- 


92  The  Strenuous  Life  Spiritual 

ture,  which  may  be  necessary  perhaps  as  a  personal 
safeguard. 

This  continuous  thought  of  self-protection  creates 
a  group  of  cell-clusters,  gradually  invading  the 
greater  part  of  the  brain.  These  cell-clusters  are  so 
positive  in  their  purpose,  are  endowed  with  such 
potentials  of  energy  that  the  cells  of  a  higher  order 
in  the  brain  are  nearly  overpowered  by  these  selfish 
cells  and  their  functions  almost  atrophied. 

When  this  man  of  aifairs  has  reached  middle  age, 
or  a  few  years  more,  and  has  perhaps  attained  the 
boon  he  has  so  ardently  been  striving  for,  namely, 
material  independence,  he  may  be  thrown  into  an 
environment  more  or  less  intellectual  or  spiritual, 
and  desire  to  pay  some  attention  to  certain  transcon- 
tinental matters  he  would  have  scorned  during  his  in- 
tense money-making  career. 

We  will  suppose  that  his  soul  has  been  made  to 
vibrate  at  some  thoughts  of  a  high  nature.  It  is 
awakening  and  wants  to  know,  as  is  usual  with  new 
inquirers,  the  real  significance  of  life.  He  pro- 
gresses in  his  studies;  he  tries  to  live  the  spiritual 
life. 

And  just  here  is  where  the  thought-habit,  formed 
during  his  business  career,  meets  him  face  to  face  in 
a  desperate  manner.  The  same  suspicions,  relentless 
doubts,  uncharitable  misgivings,  will  follow  him  wher- 
ever he  goes  and  will  be  manifest  in  whatever  he  un- 
dertakes. 


The  Strenuous  Life  Spiritual  93 

He  will  soon  keenly  feel  this  opposition  to  his 
spiritual  growth  and  realize  that  the  real  battle  of 
his  life  has  begun  in  earnest  and  lies  in  the  over- 
coming of  these  suspicions,  uncharitable  judgments, 
hasty  and  unjust  conclusions,  toward  the  actions  of 
his  neighbors  and  fellow  men. 

Alas!  All  these  hindrances  are  due  to  the  hard 
business  rules  of  his  career,  one  of  which,  perhaps 
the  safest  but  surely  the  saddest,  is  "If  a  man  is  per- 
sonally interested  in  a  business  venture  he  proposes 
to  you  never  believe  a  single  word  of  what  he  says." 

This  rule,  having  been  faithfully  adhered  to  dur- 
ing half  of  a  lifetime,  perhaps,  and  called  almost 
daily  into  operation  it  becomes  easy  to  surmise  the 
appalling  number  of  cell-clusters  it  has  built  in  the 
brain  of  this  business  man. 

Alas,  and  alack,  again ;  and  it  is  most  unfortunate 
that  it  be  so.  It  takes  just  as  long  a  time  to  trans- 
form these  low  hard  cell-clusters  into  normal,  healthy 
or  generous  ones  as  it  took  time  to  form  or  build  up 
those  desperate,  mean,  suspicious  entities. 

This  thought  is  appalling,  but  it  is  only  too  true. 

What  a  terrible  warning  it  brings  to  young  men 
who  enter  life  in  all  earnestness.  The  supreme  com- 
mand to  them  is  to  watch  their  every  thought  so  as 
not  to  form  any  pernicious  thought-habit,  but  to  con- 
stantly endeavor  to  build  up  a  character  where  honest 
motives,  charitable  feelings,  a  sentiment  of  tolerance, 
a  tendency  to  forgiveness  and  carefulness  in  never 


94:  The  Strenuous  Life  Spiritual 

giving  offense  become  the  principal  elements  of  their 
individual  personality. 

However,  a  consolation  comes  to  the  earnest  soul 
trying  to  overcome  the  influence  of  early  thought- 
habits  of  an  earthly  nature.  Gradually  some  agency 
from  on  high  comes  to  the  rescue.  He  does  not  en- 
tertain these  uncharitable  moods  for  any  length  of 
time.  Soon  after  these  unhealthy  influences  of  the 
cell-clusters  are  felt  an  inner  consciousness  seems  to 
spring  up  and  sounds  a  note  of  warning,  bringing 
vividly  to  the  mind  the  unhealthy  train  of  thought 
he  is  following,  and  this  warning  grows  stronger  and 
stronger  in  proportion  as  earnestness  in  spiritual  en- 
deavor grows.  At  last  these  mean  cell-clusters  seem 
to  lose  their  potential  as  the  soul  is  on  guard  for 
them,  and  seems,  really,  as  if  it  had  taken  control 
of  a  psychic  switch  to  turn  the  low  current  to  a 
ground,  as  electricians  would  say. 

So  then,  dear  disciple,  do  not  be  discouraged  at 
those  oft-repeated  occurrences  of  such  mean  thoughts. 
It  is  by  no  means  an  indication  that  your  spiritual 
progress  is  not  advancing.  The  cell-clusters  giving 
forth  these  uncharitable  thoughts  are  still  there,  and 
as  long  as  they  are  in  existence  their  influence  will 
be  felt.  Call  to  your  mind  an  seolian  harp  suspended 
in  the  branches  of  a  tree.  As  long  as  there  is  no  air- 
current  the  harp  will  be  silent,  but  as  soon  as  the 
slightest  breeze  springs  up  the  musical  notes  will  be 
produced,  giving  forth  harmony  or  discord,  accord- 


The  Strenuous  Lift  Spiritual  dZ 

ing  to  the  tuning  or  syntonism  of  the  strings  between 
themselves.  And  so  it  is  with  the  cells  of  the  brain- 
clusters.  They  will  lie  dormant  so  long  as  no  occa- 
sion offers  for  their  springing  into  action,  but  on  the 
least  suggestion  of  some  perturbing  motive  in  every- 
day life  a  current  is  produced  by  them,  either  a 
thought  or  electro-magnetic  vital  current,  and  the 
cells  of  the  cluster  are  made  to  sing  the  uncharitable 
song  which  so  alarms  the  earnest  disciple. 

Now,  dear  disciple,  this  miserable  thought-habit 
created  during  almost  a  life-long  warfare  of  neces- 
sarily defensive  tactics,  is  a  mere  physiological  fact, 
the  influence  of  which  you  cannot  at  once  annihilate. 
So,  do  not  get  discouraged,  a  constant  rebuking  of 
these  engenders  influences  of  a  higher  nature  which 
gradually  surround,  overcome,  and  change  the  nature 
of  these  low  cell-clusters  to  clusters  of  a  noble  spirit- 
ual tendency. 

Eobert  G.  Ingersoll,  after  one  of  his  lectures  on 
Temptation,  was  asked  by  a  lady  in  the  audience: 
"If  mean  thoughts  come  to  us  as  they  do  almost 
every  day,  urge  us  to  do  things  we  should  not  do; 
how  shall  we  get  rid  of  these — what  shall  we  do  to 
overcome  their  pernicious  influence?" 

Ingersoll  answered  in  his  inimitable  way:  "Dear 
madam,  we  cannot  prevent  swallows  from  flying 
around  our  heads  in  the  air,  but  we  can  surely  prevent 
them  from  making  their  nests  in  our  hair."     This 


r  9<>  'The  Strenuous  Life  Spiritual 

answer  of  the  great  iconoclast  is  worth  a  whole  treatise 
on  moral  philosophy. 

We  have  allowed  ourselves  to  dwell  thus  at  length 
on  these  thought-habits  because  we  know  the  decided 
influence  they  exert  on  our  spiritual  life.  Tempta- 
tions and  urgings  of  a  low  order  do  not  originate  so 
much  in  suggestions  from  outside  entities — although 
some  may — as  they  spring  from  our  own  inner  being, 
from  our  inharmonious  cell-clusters  formed  and  fos- 
tered during  many  bygone  years. 

"The  Submissive  Life,"  following  this  essay,  will 
give  to  the  earnest  disciple  the  key  to  a  true  spiritual 
life. 


THE  SUBMISSIVE  LIFE 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  PAGE 

I    The  Prophet  and  His   Book 9 

II    A  Visit  From  the  Prophet 23 

III  The  First  Revelations  of  the  Prophet 31 

IV  As  It  Is  Above  So  It  Is  Below;  As  It  Is  In 

Heaven  So  It  Is  On  Earth 38 

V    Revelations  Given  by  the  Prophet  in  the  Napa 

Mountains 50 

VI     More  About  the  Prophet 65 

VII     A   Revealed   Prophecy   Realized 72 

VIII     More    Revelations 84 

IX    Judging  the  Prophet's  Revelations 95 

X    The  God  of  the  Revelations 108 

XI     Conclusions 119 


THE  SUBMISSIVE  LIFE 


CHAPTEE  I 

THE  PBOPHET  AND  HIS  BOOK 

Toward  the  last  of  the  year  1909  I  went  to  the 
city  of  Los  Angeles,  in  California,  where  the  winter 
climate  is  mild  and  sunny.  With  a  nervous  system 
badly  shaken  from  overwork,  I  hoped  to  find  there, 
as  I  had  found  in  some  previous  years,  rest,  quiet, 
and  peace.  After  a  couple  of  months  passed  in  that 
city,  I  found  myself  much  better  and  began  to  take 
interest  in  things  around  me.  One  morning  looking 
over  the  columns  of  a  daily  newspaper,  I  noticed  an 
extra  long  list  of  church  notices — it  happened  to  be 
Sunday — detailing  religious  services  of  every  pos- 
sible and  impossible  denomination,  advertising  lec- 
tures in  temples  and  halls,  teaching  and  preaching 
and  expounding  creeds  of  every  description,  known 
and  unknown;  moral  systems,  new  and  old;  philo- 
sophical themes,  ethical  elucidations,  etc.,  etc.  These 
many  and  utterly  varied  religious  and  irreligious  en- 
deavors, filling  halls  and  churches,  is  almost  unique 
to  the  city  of  Los  Angeles.    Owing  to  its  mild  and 

9 


10  The  Submissive  Life 

balmy  winter  climate,  people  congregate  there  from 
all  parts  of  the  United  States,  the  Atlantic  Coast, 
Canada  and  the  great  Northwest ;  even  Alaska  bring- 
ing its  quota  of  tourists.  Several  missionaries  of  the 
Oriental  religions  also  pass  the  winter  here,  and  their 
efforts  of  proselyting  prove  quite  effective.  One  of 
the  beautiful  characteristics  of  the  American  people, 
especially  that  part  of  the  people  with  nomadic  tend- 
encies and  habits,  is  that  every  new  activity  in  the 
religious,  moral,  philosophical  or  mental  fields,  al- 
ways interests  them.  For  this  reason  an  intelligent 
apostle  in  any  of  these  activities,  having  for  main 
endeavor  the  betterment  of  the  human  race,  will  ever 
find  an  audience,  more  or  less  numerous,  ready  to 
give  attention  to  their  new  credos  and  pass  swift  but 
fair  judgment  upon  their  worth,  according  to  the 
greater  or  lesser  appeal  they  make  upon  their  own 
convictions  or  mental  idiosyncrasies. 

Among  these  numerous  church  notices,  my  atten- 
tion was  attracted  to  the  following: — 

"BOY  PEOPHET— Archie  Inger,  a  prophet  of 
God,  will  speak  by  divine  inspiration  Sunday 
evening,  Mammoth  Hall,  517  Broadway.  'Free.' 
It  has  been  revealed  to  Mr.  Inger  during  the  past 
week  that  a  part  of  his  message  this  evening  will 
touch  upon  'The  Wise  Men  from  the  East;  who 
they  were,  why  they  came.'  Mr.  Inger  says:  'I 
know  not  what  I  am  to  say.    I  open  my  heart  and 


The  Submissive  Life  11 

surrender  my  will  unto  God,  and  He  puts  the 
words  in  my  mouth.  In  my  own  efforts  I  am  no- 
thing.' " 

"A  boy  prophet  of  God,"  said  L  "That  must  be 
interesting  surely,"  and  I  thought  something  of  going 
to  that  lecture. 

Taking  a  stroll  through  the  streets  of  the  city,  I 
noticed  the  same  lecture  advertised  in  many  windows 
— some  in  windows  of  very  prominent  stores.  I  was 
greatly  interested  in  the  picture  of  the  young  prophet, 
printed  on  the  notices.  A  juvenile  face  really,  de- 
noting an  age  between  sixteen  and  eighteen.  I  de- 
cided to  go  and  hear  him  speak.  To  listen  to  the 
utterances  of  a  boy  prophet  must  indeed  prove  a  treat. 
The  hour  set  for  the  meeting  was  eight  o'clock.  In 
order  to  get  a  good  seat  near  the  speaker,  in  case  of 
a  large  audience,  I  went  to  the  hall  at  half-past 
seven.  At  the  door  a  young  man  stepped  forward 
and  informed  me  I  was  a  little  early;  however,  if 
I  decided  to  remain,  he  would  loan  me  a  little  book 
to  read,  while  waiting  for  the  beginning  of  the  lec- 
ture. 

"This  book,"  volunteered  the  young  man,  "may 
perhaps  interest  you.  It  deals  with  the  'Kevelations 
of  Saint  John,'  giving  them  a  new  interpretation. 
Archie  was  compelled  to  write  that  book,  driven  by 
some  irresistible  force,  at  the  age  of  fourteen." 

Seeing  many  copies  on  the  table  for  sale,  I  bought 


12  The  Submissive  Life 

the  book  and  went  to  secure  my  seat  near  the  plat- 
form from  which  the  young  prophet  was  to  lecture. 
After  having  surveyed  the  hall,  the  pictures  on  the 
wall  and  the  beautiful  flowers  brought  by  some  ladies 
to  the  speaker's  desk,  I  opened  the  book.  The  frontis- 
piece was  a  portrait  of  Archie  J.  Inger;  the  intro- 
duction read  thus:  "I,  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  am 
the  writer  of  this  book  by  revelation,  through  this 
medium,  'Archie  Inger  Christ,'  and  I  have  inter- 
preted the  meaning  of  John's  revelations,  which 
should  be  interpreted  in  this  last  day  to  prepare  the 
way  of  my  coming  upon  the  earth.  The  correct  in- 
terpretation is  here  given,  and  with  it  many  neces- 
sary spiritual  laws  by  which  man  may  reach  the 
Kingdom  of  Heaven  if  he  be  diligent  in  the  light  and 
path  given  him  herein." 

Well,  dear  reader,  I  must  confess  that  these  state- 
ments startled  me  just  a  little,  for  my  hand  almost 
dropped  the  book.  I  looked  again  at  the  boyish  face 
of  the  young  prophet,  and  beginning  to  feel  quite  in- 
terested I  continued  the  reading.  It  said:  "This 
book  is  the  Key  to  the  Scriptures  and  also  the  key  to 
the  way  of  Heaven.  If  any  man  lack  wisdom,  let 
him  ask  of  me,  but  the  manner  in  which  he  may  ask 
and  receive  an  answer  is  herein  written ;  but  he  who 
seeks  a  different  way  may  seek,  but  shall  not  find  it. 
If  you  will  read  this  book  diligently,  no  man  need 
continue  in  the  dark.  But  the  book  must  be  read  in 
submission  and  in  prayer  if  it  is  to  be  understood. 


The  Submissive  Life  13 

This  is  but  the  opening  of  a  great  and  mighty  work, 
and  is  the  revealment  of  a  true  and  just  law.  Never- 
theless, it  will  receive  much  criticism  and  prejudice, 
but  shall  be  able  to  stand  against  any  storm." 

While  continuing  the  reading  of  a  few  pages  with 
much  interest,  mixed  perhaps  with  an  equal  amount 
of  curiosity,  I  soon  noticed  a  rustling  in  the  hall, 
now  well  filled  with  a  respectable  looking  audience. 
The  young  prophet  had  made  his  appearance  on  the 
platform.  He  was  accompanied  by  an  elderly  lady, 
who  took  a  seat  on  a  sofa  near  the  speaker's  desk. 
I  learned  afterwards  she  was  his  mother.  A  young 
lady  went  to  the  piano  and  sang  a  hymn.  The  proph- 
et, standing  at  the  desk,  rested  his  head  upon  his 
hand,  as  if  in  silent  prayer  or  meditation.  After  the 
singing  of  the  hymn  the  mother  stepped  forward, 
uttered  an  eloquent  prayer  demanding  benediction  of 
those  on  High  upon  the  audience. 

The  prophet  then,  in  a  sweet  and  youthful  voice, 
implored  Jehovah  to  make  clear  to  him  the  instruc- 
tion he  wished  to  impart  that  evening,  through  his 
humble  ministrations,  so  he  might  transmit  it  with 
fidelity  and  completeness. 

The  speaker  seemed  to  be  two  or  three  years  older 
than  he  appeared  in  his  picture,  which  was  taken,  I 
learned,  at  the  time  he  wrote  his  book.  His  de- 
meanor on  the  platform  was  modest,  simply  walking 
to  and  fro,  speaking  plainly,  without  eloquence, 
seemingly  intent  solely  to  form  into  words  and  de- 


14  The  Submissive  Life 

liver  faithfully  the  psychic  impressions  vouchsafed 
to  him  through  the  divine  influx  that  was  being  im- 
printed upon  his  soul  or  mind. 

The  lecture  dealt  with  the  mission  of  the  Wise 
Men  of  the  East,  but  the  conclusion  of  his  entire  dis- 
course seemed  to  be  the  necessity  of  man's  complete 
submission  to  the  will  of  God  in  all  the  activities  of 
his  daily  life.  The  question  that  followed  was :  "How 
shall  man  come  to  know  the  will  of  God  so  he  may 
obey  it?"  All  these  questions  were  plainly  eluci- 
dated by  the  young  man. 

The  audience  appeared  much  interested  in  the 
themes  developed  during  the  lecture,  and  it  never 
ceased  to  listen,  not  only  attentively,  but,  it  seemed  to 
me  at  times  reverently,  to  his  utterances. 

I  must  confess  that  I  became  interested  in  the 
young  man,  prophet,  or  not,  for  there  might  be  a 
mystery  underlying  all  these  claims,  worthy  of  in- 
vestigation. It  was  certain  that  the  ideas  expressed 
by  him  were  of  a  high  spiritual  standard,  and  abso- 
lutely above  his  age  or  intellect.  I  say  intellect,  for 
his  manner  of  giving  expression  to  sentences  was  at 
times,  perhaps,  a  little  crude. 

The  lecture  was  delivered  in  the  Biblical  or 
archaic  style.  I  slowly  came  to  the  conclusion  to 
follow  up  this  young  prophet  by  attending  as  much 
as  convenient  all  his  future  lectures  before  passing 
judgment  upon  his  claim,  if  indeed  judgment  may 
ever  be  ventured  or  permitted  on  such  themes.   This 


The  Submissive  Life  15 

conclusion,  however,  was  entirely  in  harmony  with 
my  past  studies  and  investigations,  for  having  al- 
ways been  a  greater  or  lesser  student  of  the  physical 
sciences,  I  had  formed  the  habit  of  never  rejecting 
hypothesis,  however  irrealizable  they  might  at  first 
appear,  and  this  rule  of  conduct  had  been  of  the 
greatest  benefit  in  my  scientific  endeavors. 

After  the  closing  of  the  lecture,  and  when  he 
stepped  from  the  platform,  the  prophet  found  him- 
self immediately  surrounded  by  a  group  of  men  and 
women,  expressing  warm  congratulations  and  asking 
many  questions. 

The  greater  part  of  the  audience  slowly  filed  out, 
and  being  one  of  the  last,  I  halted  awhile,  as  the 
young  man  who  had  met  me  at  the  door  at  my  en- 
trance spoke  to  me,  saying  his  name  was  Harry 
Young,  and  asking  whether  I  liked  the  lecture  just 
heard.  I  handed  Mr.  Young  my  card  in  return  for 
his  kindness. 

"You  see,"  he  volunteered,  "Archie  is  not  in  a 
trance  when  he  lectures,  he  just  feels  himself  like  in 
the  midst  of  a  glow,  a  brilliant  atmosphere,  a  kind 
of  illumination,  full  of  ideas  and  thoughts  beating 
upon  his  mind,  and  impressing  his  brain.  He  gives 
utterance  to  these  promptings  as  best  he  can;  he  has 
to  formulate  them  in  words  of  his  own  choosing, 
but  Archie's  education  having  been  much  neglected, 
through  circumstances  over  which  he  had  no  control, 
his  utterances  are  sometimes  weak,  and  perhaps  a 


16  The  Submissive  Life 

little  ungrammatical  at  times,  although  the  sentences 
seem  always  to  be  well  understood  by  the  people." 

"I  would  like  very  much  to  become  personally  ac- 
quainted with  the  prophet,"  I  ventured;  "does  he 
like  to  meet  people  ?" 

"Absolutely  so !  He  loves  to  converse  with  people 
and  answer  questions.  You  see  how  he  is  surrounded 
by  anxious  inquirers  this  very  moment.  They  may 
keep  him  there  for  more  than  half  an  hour — and  he 
is  always  smiling." 

"Well,  I  hope  to  meet  him  some  time,  soon." 

"He  will  be  very  glad  to  meet  you  any  time,  I  am 
sure,  especially  that  you  are  a  San  Franciscan." 

On  the  following  Thursday,  at  three-thirty  P.  M., 
a  lecture  was  announced  to  be  given  in  one  of  the 
halls  of  the  city  on  spiritualism  in  Australia;  the 
speaker  to  be  was  J.  W.  Peebles,  a  gentleman  eighty- 
seven  years  of  age.  This  announcement  interested 
me  at  once,  for  being  myself  eighty-one  years  old,  I 
desired  to  learn  of  and  witness  the  physical  condition, 
mental  and  moral  qualities  one  may  yet  possess  at 
that  age.  Perhaps  I  desired  specially  to  question  him 
a  little  about  his  manner  of  living,  rules  of  diet,  etc. 
I  went  to  the  lecture.  I  was  granted  the  infinite 
satisfaction  of  admiring  a  nice,  grand  old  man  with 
long  flowing  white  beard  and  hair,  of  high  stature, 
brilliant  eye,  sonorous  voice,  eloquent  utterances;  in 
fact,  a  striking  personality  in  full  possession  of  a 
large  intellect,  and  of  all  those  lovely  qualities  which 


The  Submissive  Life  17 

go  to  make  a  man  far  above  the  ordinary  standard  of 
men.*  The  good  reader  will  readily  understand  to 
what  degree  I  was  pleased  meeting  with  Mr.  Peebles 
and  witnessing  in  him,  at  his  age,  all  those  beautiful 
attributes  of  manhood,  and  so  justly  appreciated  by 
the  audience,  as  manifested  by  the  unequivocal  rev- 
erence with  which  they  listened  to  his  words. 

However,  I  must  confess  that  besides  the  great 
interest  taken  in  Mr.  Peebles'  lecture,  and  the  satis- 
faction it  brought  to  me,  there  was  another  presence 
in  the  hall  among  the  audience  that  attracted  my 
special  attention,  and  this  presence  was  no  other 
than  the  boy  prophet,  Inger,  accompanied  by  his 
friend,  Mr.  Young.  I  concluded  to  seize  this  oppor- 
tunity to  meet  the  prophet,  if  possible.  On  leaving 
the  hall  I  followed  him  closely,  and  on  reaching  the 
sidewalk  I  addressed  a  few  words  to  Mr.  Young.  He, 
at  once  recognizing  me,  introduced  me  to  the  prophet 
as  the  gentleman  from  San  Francisco,  of  whom  he 
had  spoken  as  having  attended  his  last  Sunday's  lec- 
ture. Mr.  Inger  extended  his  hand  cordially,  while 
a  sweet  smile  overspread  his  countenance,  saying  he 
was  very  glad  to  meet  me. 

The  crowd  issuing  from  the  hall,  crowding  upon  us, 
soon  made  us  move  forward.    Addressing  the  prophet 


♦Dear  Dr.  Osier — Humbly  do  I  beg  your  pardon  for  intro- 
ducing Mr.  Pebbles  to  the  world,  in  contradiction  to  your 
pet  theories,  so  greatly  appreciated  by  old  people  of  cer- 
tain intellectual  attainments. 


18  The  Submissive  Life 

and  his  friend,  and  begging  pardon  for  the  lib- 
erty, I  asked  them  to  accompany  me  to  the  store 
next  door,  accept  an  ice  cream,  which  would  permit 
lis  to  be  seated  and  thus  get  better  acquainted.  The 
invitation  was  accepted.  We  soon  found  ourselves 
conversing  perfectly  at  ease.  The  prophet  stated 
that  he  had  lived  in  Oakland,  a  city  across  the  bay 
from  San  Francisco;  that  often  he  had  heard  some 
of  his  friends  speak  of  the  books  I  had  written,  that 
he  knew  well  my  School  of  Engineering,  and  conse- 
quently he  was  very  glad  to  meet  me,  and  thus  I 
found  myself  in  a  few  minutes  on  friendly  terms 
with  the  young  prophet.  I  was  perfectly  delighted ! 
The  progress  made  toward  my  aim  of  studying  the 
prophet  had  become  in  a  few  moments  replete  with 
promises  of  unexpected  success.  However,  since  I 
had  come  into  actual  contact  with  the  young  man, 
the  curiosity  part  of  my  investigation  seemed  to  have 
quite  lessened,  and  somewhat  replaced  in  my  mind 
with  a  sincere  desire  of  learning  all  the  good  that 
might  be  found  in  his  philosophy.  Was  his  book 
really  inspired  by  the  Christ  himself?  Perhaps  the 
perusal  of  it  would  vouchsafe  some  interesting  elu- 
cidations. 

All  these  thoughts  coursed  through  my  mind,  as  it 
were,  like  a  flash  and  in  a  second  of  time. 

After  we  partook  of  the  ice  cream,  "Archie,"  said 
Mr.  Young,  "do  not  forget  that  your  mother  is  wait- 
ing for  you  and  that  it  is  about  time  for  dinner." 


The  Submissive  Life  19 

"Dear  Mr.  Inger,  now  that  we  are  acquainted,  and 
that  we  are  almost  fellow  townsmen,"  I  volunteered, 
"we  should  know  one  another  more  thoroughly. 
Please  come  and  lunch  with  me  at  the  hotel,  say  the 
day  after  to-morrow,  with  Mr.  Young.  Will  you 
come  ?" 

"I  accept  with  pleasure,"  he  answered;  '*but  Mr. 
Young  cannot  accompany  me  as  he  must  attend  to 
his  office  business." 

"Thank  you  indeed  very  much  for  accepting,  but 
please  come,  if  convenient  toward  eleven  o'clock,  so 
we  may  have  some  time  for  a  chat  before  going  to 
the  dining  room." 

"That  is  a  good  idea.  I  will  call  on  you  at  eleven 
o'clock  the  day  after  to-morrow." 

The  invitation,  I  noticed,  was  accepted  with  pleas- 
ure. We  separated  like  two  good  friends,  after  a 
warm  shaking  of  hands  all  around. 

The  next  day,  while  taking  a  stroll  along  the 
streets  of  the  city,  I  met,  by  mere  chance,  Mr.  Harry 
Young,  the  prophet's  friend.  I  say  by  mere  chance ; 
but  is  there  really  something  like  mere  chance  in  this 
world?  We  were  walking  in  the  same  direction  so 
we  entered  immediately  into  conversation.  Mr. 
Young  stated  at  once,  and  with  a  smile  of  satisfac- 
tion: 

"Archie  has  been  very  happy  indeed  to  meet  you ; 
he  never  ceased  speaking  about  you  that  entire  even- 
ing.    He  remembered,  after  a  little  thinking,  the 


20  The  Submissive  Life 

friends  who  had  spoken  of  you  and  your  books,  re- 
lating the  things  they  contained  in  harmony  with 
his  own  teachings,  and  he  is  delighted  at  the  idea 
of  seeing  you  again  to-morrow — and  really  like  a  boy 
that  he  is,  he  is  impatient  for  the  time  to  arrive." 

"Well,  Harry,  I  am  really  pleased  at  what  you 
say.  Shall  I  confess  to  you  that  I  am  equally  anxious 
to  meet  Mr.  Inger  again  to-morrow?  I  am  aware, 
and  sorry  indeed,  that  you,  being  under  employ- 
ment in  the  city,  cannot  accompany  him." 

"Oh,  no,  no!  I  must  work  to  keep  the  pot  boil- 
ing. You  know  Archie  is  a  mere  boy,  especially  in 
business,  and  it  requires  some  money  to  live,  as  every- 
body knows.  At  his  lectures  I  always  place  a  little 
box  on  the  table  where  his  book  is  for  sale,  and  volun- 
teer offerings  are  placed  in  it  by  people  attending. 
These  offerings  consist,  however,  of  more  nickels 
than  dimes.  They  hardly  pay  the  rent  of  the  hall,  so 
I  must  go  to  work  in  every  city  where  Archie  lec- 
tures, and,  somehow,  work  always  comes  to  me.  '  But 
enough  said  about  myself." 

"Are  you  a  relation  of  Mr.  Inger's  ?" 

"Not  at  all.  I  had  learned  to  know  him  and  his 
family,  in  Salt  Lake  City  years  ago,  when  he  was  a 
real  kid.  The  entire  family  was  in  terrible  circum- 
stances when  I  became  acquainted  with  them.  I 
helped  them  some,  and  in  one  way  or  another  I  have 
remained  close  to  the  family  ever  since.  However, 
you  will  know  more  about  that  later  on,  I  suppose, 


The  Submissive  Life  21 

as  all  seems  to  be  mystery  or  fate  with  that  family." 

"You  interest  me  greatly,  Harry ;  your  devotion  is 
equally  a  mystery  to  me." 

"Yes,  all  is  mystery  and  out  of  the  ordinary  with 
the  Ingers.  I  suppose  a  time  will  come. when  you 
will  know  more  about  them,  and  then  your  interest 
in  them  will  be  as  mine  now  is." 

"We  were  speaking  of  mystery.  There  is  certain- 
ly a  special  mystery  in  Archie's  life,  troubling  him 
very  much  at  times.  I  must  tell  you  that  the  Inger 
family  has  been  surely  a  roving  one,  continually  on 
the  move  from  East  to  West,  through  plains,  deserts, 
mountains — the  father  is  a  miner  by  profession — 
through  the  mining  States,  landing  finally  in  the 
State  of  Utah,  at  Salt  Lake  City. 

"It  is  easily  surmised  that  through  all  these 
changes  and  wanderings  when  Archie  was  very 
young,  his  education  must  have  been  appallingly 
neglected  by  mere  lack  of  opportunity.  He  took  a 
little  schooling  wherever  it  was  available,  and  here 
is  where  the  .difficulty  resulting  from  this  lack  of 
education  becomes  most  manifest.  As  I  stated  be- 
fore, Archie  when  speaking  on  the  platform  is  not  in 
a  state  of  trance.  He  is  simply  surrounded,  yea, 
thoroughly  permeated  by  a  kind  of  spiritual  illumin- 
ation. The  thoughts  that  are  thus  impressed  upon 
him  he  must  coin  in  words  from  his  own  vocabulary, 
which  is  very  limited.  He  has  often  complained  to 
his  guides  about  this  deficiency.     I  remember  very 


22  The  Submissive  Life 

well  one  time,  when  some  newspaper  published  a 
sharp  criticism  concerning  his  inefficiency  of  ex- 
pression, lack  of  eloquence,  and  at  times  ungram- 
matical  utterances.  Archie,  very  much  annoyed  and 
humiliated  at  this,  told  his  guides  that  if  they  did 
not  cause  him  to  speak  more  eloquently  and  more 
correctly  he  would  quit  preaching  and  go  to  work. 

"And  here  is  where  the  mystery  of  Archie's  life 
comes  in,"  continued  Mr.  Young.  "Each  and  every 
time  he  uttered  these  complaints,  his  guides  told  him 
in  unmistakable  terms:  'Be  patient;  have  faith  a 
little  while  longer ;  wait  until  you  meet  the  man  we 
will  place  on  your  way — all  your  desires  will  then 
be  granted  and  your  mission  rapidly  unfold.'  Archie 
has  been  patiently  waiting  for  the  appearance  of  this 
man.  So  far  he  has  not  come.  However,  yesterday 
— and  I  may  just  as  well  tell  it  to  you  now — Archie, 
in  his  satisfaction  of  having  met  you,  said  this :  'I 
wonder  whether  he  is  the  man  I  must  meet,  and  who 
is  to  have  such  a  decided  influence  over  my  career  V  ' 

"Oh,  fiddlesticks!  Mr.  Young,"  I  answered,  spon- 
taneously uttering  a  little  laugh  at  such  a  prepos- 
terous surmise.  "I  will  meet  Mr.  Inger  to-morrow, 
and  hope  to  have  a  nice  little  chat  with  him." 


CHAPTER  II 

A  VISIT  FROM  THE   PROPHET 

The  next  day,  at  the  appointed  time,  eleven  o'clock 
to  the  minute,  the  young  prophet  made  his  appear- 
ance. I  was  waiting  for  him  in  the  lobby  of  the 
hotel.  We  met  very  cordially  and  after  the  ordinary 
greetings  went  to  my  room.  We  spoke  first  about 
San  Francisco  and  Oakland,  where  he  had  resided  a 
couple  of  years.  There  he  had  heard  of  me  and  my 
life's  activities.  He  had  even  tried  to  meet  me 
while  there,  having  been  advised  to  do  so  by  Pro- 
fessor Edgar  Lucien  Larkin,  Director  of  the  Mount 
Lowe  Astronomical  Observatory,  in  California.  As 
he  made  this  statement,  my  memory  revealed  that  a 
few  years  ago  Professor  Larkin  had  written  to  me  a 
letter  concerning  a  young  man,  almost  a  boy,  a  Mr. 
Inger,  whom  he  said  was  a  remarkable  subject  of  psy- 
chic development.  He  advised  me  to  go  and  see  him, 
assuring  me  that  he  would  prove  of  interest.  The 
Professor  even  stated:  "I  have  had  the  boy,  Inger, 
and  his  mother  here  with  me  at  the  observatory  dur- 
ing a  couple  of  days  and  he  is  surely  a  youth  deserv- 
ing investigation  and  study." 

Relating  this  incident  to  the  young  man,  he  an- 

23 


24  The  Submissive  Life 

swered  seriously:   "The  time  had  not  arrived  for  us 
to  meet  then;  but  the  time  is  now." 

Mr.  Inger  is  a  young  man  of  winning  manners, 
a  sweet  youthful  smile  ornaments  his  lips  almost 
constantly,  and  his  appearance  is  entirely  devoid 
of  that  mystic  tinge  we  should  expect  to  meet  in 
him.  His  brown  eye,  instead  of  possessing  that  in- 
ward abstract  gaze,  always  present  in  the  dreamer 
about  supersensuous  things,  has  a  marvellously  frank, 
outward  look,  full  of  boyish  sprightliness,  almost  of 
childish  curiosity.  Indeed,  I  was  very  favorably  im- 
pressed with  Mr.  Inger's  personality.  It  was  certain- 
ly devoid  of  any  indication  of  cunning,  scheming,  or 
any  hidden  purpose  suggested  by  egotism,  selfish 
aims,  or  personal  vanity.  He  was  surely  without 
guile,  and,  in  fact,  a  sweet  impersonation  of  purity 
and  innocence. 

"Well,  Mr.  Inger,  now  that  we  are  well  acquainted, 
and  especially  that  you  are  aware  how  much  I  am 
personally  interested  in  all  matters  spiritual  and  the 
betterment  of  the  human  race  through  its  discern- 
ment of  higher  things,  may  I  be  permitted  to  ask  a 
few  questions  as  to  the  manner  or  procedure  of 
events  that  brought  you  to  the  lecturing  platform 
and  to  the  writing  of  your  book  ?" 

"I  have  no  secrets  for  anyone,  especially  none  for 
yourself.  Only  you  will  please  permit  me  not  to 
speak  in  detail  of  the  painful  circumstance  that  sur- 
rounded my  early  boyhood.    My  parents  were  in  a 


The  Submissive  Life  25 

sad  plight  at  Salt  Lake  City,  State  of  Utah.  They 
were  Mormons.  My  environment  was  one  of  con- 
tinuous strife,  causing  me  at  times  real  agony.  At 
an  early  age  I  was  left  with  my  mother  and  two 
brothers,  without  any  support.  As  a  result  of  all 
this,  perhaps,  I  grew  up  without  any  religious  feel- 
ings or  convictions  whatever.  At  times  I  believed 
that  man  was  of  little  consequence  in  this  world, 
made  of  dust,  and  that  sometime  he  would  return 
to  dust.  If  there  was  a  spirit  in  him,  I  knew  nothing 
of  it. 

"About  seven  years  ago,"  continued  Archie  in  his 
simple  way,  "I  heard  a  voice  that  came  not  through 
my  ears.  It  was  like  a  voice  heard  in  a  dream,  and 
came  only  when  I  was  dozing  at  night.  I  could  not 
understand  at  first  what  it  told  me,  but  in  a  few 
weeks  it  was  manifest  to  my  dull  intellect  that  it 
was  the  voice  of  God.  Gradually  it  failed  me,  but 
it  had  changed  the  course  of  my  life." 

Here  Archie  paused  for  a  moment,  as  he  seemed 
much  moved  by  these  recollections;  then  he  shifted 
to  another  line  of  thought. 

"At  an  early  age  I  displayed  some  artistic  talent, 
it  seems,  as  shown  by  many  little  drawings  and  the 
water-color  paintings  I  never  ceased  scribbling.  So, 
later  on,  a  relative  of  mine  offered  to  help  me  to  se- 
cure an  education  and  to  unfold  my  artistic  talent,  if 
I  had  any.  With  this  idea  in  mind  we  moved  to  Oak- 


26  The  Submissive  Life 

land,  and  I  began  to  study  at  the  Hopkins  Institute 
of  Art,  in  San  Francisco. 

"While  in  Oakland  my  mother  became  ill,  and 
one  day  the  physician  informed  me  that  she  could 
not  recover,  that  medicine  was  useless  and  all  that 
remained  to  be  done  was  to  make  her  as  comfortable 
as  possible.  It  came  as  a  great  blow  to  me.  That 
night,  however,  I  asked  for  light,  if  there  was  any 
such  thing  to  guide  human  beings.  In  my  sleep  I 
heard  voices,  and  they  said  that  my  mother  would 
be  healed  the  next  day.  I  did  not  know  what  to 
make  of  it,  but  the  next  noon  I  told  her,  and  she  was 
healed  that  day.  She  got  well  so  fast  that  in  two 
or  three  days  we  went  out  walking.  From  that 
time  on  I  continued  to  hear  voices.  I  was  told  that 
I  would  receive  revelations  which  I  must  make 
known.  Finally,  I  told  the  relative  who  was  help- 
ing with  my  education,  that  I  could  not  go  on.  He 
agreed  to  wait  and  see  what  I  should  be  led  to  do. 
I  was  spurned  by  all  my  relatives,  except  my  imme- 
diate family.  I  waited  for  four  years  without  find- 
ing out  what  was  expected  of  me.  Two  years  ago 
the  voice  became  again  audible  to  me.  This  time  it 
dictated  that  I  should  transcribe  an  interpretation 
of  the  KEVELATIONS  given  in  the  Bible.  In  a 
vague,  hazy  way  I  did  the  bidding,  doing  the  writing 
at  night,  sometimes  putting  on  paper  more  than  a 
thousand  words  in  a  single  night  By  day  I  was 
appalled  to  find  what  I  had  written,  for  there  were 


The  Submissive  Life  27 

words  that  I  had  never  known  before;  words  I  had 
to  find  in  the  dictionary  in  order  to  tell  their  mean- 
ing, and  sentences  that  I  could  never  alone  have 
prepared. 

"I  wrote  this  interpretation,"  continued  the  young 
man  with  much  earnestness,  "without  the  Scriptures 
before  me;  yet  when  it  was  complete  I  found  that 
my  chapters  were  numbered  properly,  and  that  even 
the  verses  in  great  part  corresponded.  I  knew  then, 
with  assurance,  that  it  was  the  voice  of  Christ  that 
talked  to  me,  and  ordained  me  to  do  this  work. 

"These  revelations  I  put  into  a  book  called  a  "Ke- 
vealed  Translation  of  John's  Kevelations."  In  this 
it  is  made  plain  how  history  has  borne  out  the  reve- 
lations given  to  John.  When  people  read  this  book 
I  was  called  upon  to  speak,  and  from  that  time  on 
I  have  been  preaching.  I  was  in  Oakland  for  a  year, 
and  I  have  been  here  four  months.  I  had  a  suffi- 
cient education  in  art  to  support  myself.  I  work  at 
this  for  a  living,  and  speak  whenever  I  am  called 
upon.  When  the  collections  at  the  meetings  pay  my 
expenses  I  can  devote  all  my  time  to  the  good  work. 
I  do  not  try  to  form  an  organization,  but  urge  people 
to  stay  in  the  churches  if  they  can  do  so.  The 
churches,  however,  are  against  me.  It  has  been  re- 
vealed to  me  that  the  church  shall  not  stand,  and  that 
God  sees  but  little  difference  between  the  people  in- 
side of  the  church  and  those  who  are  outside  of  it. 
In  fact,  much  of  the  real  religious  spirit  of  brother- 


28<  The  Submissive  Life 

hood,  kindness,  and  charity  is  outside  of  the  churcH 
to-day." 

In  relating  all  this,  Archie  was  very  much  in 
earnest.  He  spoke  nearly  in  the  same  manner  as 
when  he  was  on  the  lecture  platform.  He  continued 
voluntarily  without  being  asked  any  further  ques- 
tions : 

Christ's  Second  Coming 

"The  second  coming  of  Christ  is  here  and  now. 
People  did  not  recognize  Christ  when  He  came  be- 
fore, because  He  did  not  appear  in  glory,  as  they  had 
expected.  They  do  not  recognize  the  setting  up  of 
His  kingdom  now,  because  it  is  being  established  in 
the  hearts  of  men.  Material  things  have  reached  a 
stage  that  is  near  completion.  Men  have  solved  most 
of  the  problems  of  the  earth  and  the  heavens.  Every- 
where you  see  divine  revelation  in  the  hearts  of  men. 
To  some  it  comes  through  Christian  Science,  to  others 
through  Spiritualism,  and  to  the  great  multitude  it  is 
a  sort  of  creedless  religion  of  love  and  trust." 

Revelations  His  Guide 

"1  believe  in  study  and  education,  but  find  little 
time  for  it,  and  am  impelled  to  move  according  to 
the  directions  I  receive  by  revelation,  rather  than 
to  plan  my  own  course.    I  condemn  fanaticism  and 


The  Submissive  Life  29 

believe  in  being  practical,  and,  to  a  certain  extent, 
conventional.  I  eschew  most  of  the  things  that  are 
included  in  the  freak  religions,  and  have  no  rites  or 
fetishes  which  would  mark  my  followers.  I  believe 
in  spurring  people  on  to  take  care  of  the  poor  and 
the  sick,  but  I  do  not  believe  in  building  up  a  church 
on  the  promise  of  curing  people.  Health  will  come 
with  spiritual  development. 

"I  give  addresses,  yes,"  he  said,  answering  one  of 
my  questions,  "but  I  do  not  prepare  anything.  My 
subject  is  assigned,  the  date  and  place  fixed.  I  give 
no  thought  to  my  text,  but  a  day  or  two  before  the 
time  for  me  to  speak  it  all  comes  to  me  in  the  night. 
It  is  dictated.  Strangely  enough  I  remember  it 
when  I  awake,  and  thus  I  am  able  to  talk  to  my  audi- 
ences as  one  possessed  of  more  than  my  knowledge." 

At  this  stage  of  the  interview,  I  felt  that  it  would 
not  be  polite  to  question  Mr.  Inger  any  further,  as  I 
had  not  invited  him  to  come  to  be  interviewed,  but 
simply  to  lunch  with  me.  So  I  rose,  asking  him  to 
kindly  follow  me  to  the  dining  hall. 

He  smiled  his  boyish  smile  of  satisfaction.  We 
went  to  a  little  table  by  ourselves.  I  felt  somewhat 
embarrassed  at  first,  not  knowing  whether  he  was  a 
strict  vegetarian  or  a  nut  and  raisin  eater  exclusively, 
or  what  not.  So  I  questioned  him  about  his  diet,  and 
whether  he  had  some  regulation  or  restriction  about 
it.    He  answered  me  simply: 

"I  eat  almost  of  everything  eatable,  moderately, 


30  The  Submissive  Life 

of  course.  My  drink  is  limited  to  water,  milk,  coffee 
or  tea,  so  you  may  order  your  ordinary  dishes,  and 
it  will  be  agreeable  to  me." 

This  profession  of  culinary  faith  placed  me  at 
ease  immediately.  Mr.  Inger  was  surely  no  crank  in 
that  line.  After  lunch  and  some  desultory  conver- 
sation, he  begged  of  me  to  be  allowed  to  return  home, 
as  he  knew  several  people  were  waiting  for  him  at  his 
mother's  house. 

"I  will  let  you  depart  now,  Mr.  Inger,  but  I  desire 
to  see  you  again  soon.  When  are  you  at  liberty  to 
lunch  with  me  once  more  ?" 

"Not  to-morrow,  for  I  will  be  busy  the  entire  day 
speaking  at  San  Pedro  in  the  afternoon,  and  at  Long 
Beach  at  night." 

"Can  you  come  the  day  after  to-morrow?" 

"Yes,  I  am  free  then." 

"Will  you  come  at  the  same  hour  you  came  to- 
day ?    I  would  be  much  pleased  to  have  you  do  so." 

"Agreed,  I  will  come,  God  permitting." 

Upon  this,  I  led  him  to  the  door  and  we  parted 
after  a  warm  and  sympathetic  handshake. 


CHAPTEE  III 

THE  FIRST  REVELATIONS  OF  THE  PROPHET 

When  the  young  man  had  gone  I  went  to  my  room 
and  meditated  for  some  time  upon  all  he  had  related 
to  me  of  his  personal  history,  and  how  he  had  come  to 
write  his  "Bevelations  of  St.  John."  I  found  not 
a  shade  of  ground  upon  which  any  suspicion  might 
rest  as  to  Inger's  sincerity,  honesty,  and  absolute  dis- 
interestedness. His  soul  seemed  as  pure  and  clear  as 
the  azurean  atmosphere  of  California  in  a  bright, 
sunny  summer  day.  He  interested  me  even  more  as  a 
subject  for  close  investigation. 

The  next  day,  perusing  some  of  the  bills  announc- 
ing the  prophet's  lectures,  I  read  the  following  quo- 
tation from  the  opinions  of  eminent  men  concerning 
his  claims : 

"I  would  not  question  for  a  minute  that  Mr.  Inger 
feels  the  voice  of  God  speaking  to  him.  Eeligion 
comes  subjectively  to  many  persons.  They  hear  the 
voice  of  God  and  feel  the  presence  as  if  the  Lord  was 
actually  before  them  in  a  material  person." 

"The  Kev.  George  D.  Castro,  Philosophy  Doctor  of 
Yale  University." 

31 


32  The  Submissive  Life 

Eev.  Mr.  Castro  was  one  of  the  first  and  most 
deeply  interested  in  Mr.  Inger,  and  made  a  careful 
study  of  the  young  man's  life  and  works.  Later,  the 
Rev.  Mr.  Castro  was  one  of  a  formal  committee  of 
clergymen  and  teachers  who  examined  Inger  for  days, 
and  pronounced  his  work  not  only  sincere,  hut  won- 
derful. 

The  following  is  the  opinion  about  Inger  of  Mr. 
Larkin,  Director  of  the  Mount  Lowe  Astronomical 
Observatory : 

"Of  course  I  believe  that  Mr.  Inger  hears  the  voice 
speaking  in  the  interior  of  his  brain,  and  in  regions 
of  cells  connected  with  hearing." 

The  San  Francisco  Examiner  prints  the  following : 

"Archie  J.  Inger,  a  boy  in  years,  but  a  man  in 
ordinary  intellect,  a  youth  of  humble  origin,  has  pro- 
duced an  interpretation  of  the  revelation  of  the  New 
Testament  book  of  St.  John  that  is  astounding  to 
doctors  of  divinity  and  trained  theologians. 

"This  amazing  document,  running  upwards  of 
100,000  words,  is  strikingly  phrased  and  bears  the 
stamp  of  thought  far  beyond  the  normal  action  of 
this  youthful  mind." 

The  next  day,  the  day  designated  for  our  second 
meeting,  Mr.  Inger  arrived  promptly  at  the  appointed 
time.  We  went  directly  to  my  room.  After  the  cus- 
tomary greetings,  and  the  expression  of  my  pleasure 
at  again  meeting  him,  I  spoke  of  the  encomiums  he 
had  received  from  the  Press,  and  especially  from 


The  Submissive  Life  33 

snch  men  as  the  Kev.  Mr.  Castro,  of  Yale,  and  Pro- 
fessor Larkin. 

"Yes,"  he  responded  in  his  simple  youthful  way, 
"after  many  interviews  by  most  eminent  divines  and 
some  business  men  interested  in  religious  matters,  a 
committee  was  formed  among  them,  and  through 
their  generosity  I  was  able  to  publish  my  book.  They 
also  sent  me  on  my  way  to  fulfill  a  mission  on  which 
the  Eedeemer  had  sent  me.    Blessings  be  unto  them !" 

After  this  statement,  Archie  remained  silent  for 
quite  a  few  minutes. 

"The  Holy  Ones  are  with  us  here,"  he  said,  "let 
us  join  hands  and  ask  whether  they  wish  to  com- 
municate with  us." 

While  I  was  wondering  at  this  new  phase  in  our 
interview,  Archie  spoke  thus: 

"Our  dear  Father  Jehovah,  and  our  beloved 
Brother  Christ,  if  this  meeting  has  been  planned  by 
you  and  you  desire  to  grant  a  message  may  you  cause 
us  to  receive  it  in  all  humility  and  understanding. 
Amen." 

The  prophet  seemed  to  listen  to  some  interior  voice 
and  thus  spake : 

"Jehovah  rejoices  in  this  meeting ;  your  coming  to- 
gether has  been  prepared  long  since.  He  sends  you 
His  blessings.  A  great  work  awaits  you,  and  for  its 
accomplishment  thoroughly  devoted  souls  in  greatest 
submission  to  the  will  of  Jehovah  are  needed.  They 
must  be  willing  to  obey  all  commandments  in  the 


34  The  Submissive  Life 

face  of  danger,  even  of  death.  The  great  work  to 
be  done  is  the  regeneration  of  humanity.  Man  has 
departed  from  God  inasmuch  as  he  is  permitted  to 
do.  The  road  leading  to  the  fulfillment  of  this  great 
work  is,  and  will  be  for  some  time,  unknown  to  you. 
However,  you  will  be  guided  on  the  Path  in  measure 
as  the  progress  of  the  work  necessitates.  The  road 
to  be  followed  has  been  laid  out  from  the  commence- 
ment. The  direction  of  this  great  work  of  redemp- 
tion has  been  entrusted  by  Jehovah  to  His  beloved 
son,  Jesus  of  Nazareth.  Know  ye,  that  Jesus  of 
Nazareth  is  the  Highest  of  Souls  from  this  creation. 
Be  ye  under  His  direction,  and  with  the  same  waters 
of  Heaven  be  ye  baptized  and  bound  together.  Meet 
together  as  often  as  possible  to  establish  a  perfect 
union.  Eevelation  of  great  import  will  be  given  you 
when  that  union  is  established." 

Archie  described  several  interesting  visions  that 
came  to  him  in  regard  to  work  we,  seemingly,  had 
to  do  together.  I  will  not  relate  these  visions  here. 
We  chatted  a  little  while  longer  and  soon  went  down 
to  luncheon.  When  Mr.  Inger  departed  he  promised 
to  call  again  in  a  few  days. 

In  one  of  these  meetings  at  my  room,  the  Prophet 
gave  out  the  following  as  if  the  Holy  Ones,  as  he 
calls  them,  had  been  reading  my  thoughts  while 
meditating  upon  the  themes  given  forth  at  some  of 
these  private  meetings.    He  spoke  thus : 

"Greeting  to  you,  our  children !  The  Elder  Brother 


The  Submissive  Life  35: 

is  much  concerned  in  regard  to  your  meeting  together 
here.  This  is  not  strange,  as  you  will  know  when 
understanding  better  the  workings  of  Heaven's  laws 
regulating  the  intercourse  of  the  Holy  Ones  with 
the  men  of  Earth." 

Mr.  Inger  then  continued  to  relate  that  all  created 
things  and  beings  must  of  necessity  grow,  live  and 
die  in  accordance  with  the  perfect  law  of  Heaven. 
They  all  fulfill  submissively  their  allotted  destiny, 
rocks,  plants  and  animals  alike.  Man,  he  stated,  is 
the  only  exception  to  this  rule,  the  sole  created  being 
who  may  live  aside  of  this  perfect  law,  disobey  its 
dictates,  for  man  has  been  granted  a  free  will,  a  self 
will.  He  is  permitted  to  map  out  his  own  life,  good 
or  bad,  live  in  submission  or  in  disobedience  to  the 
moral  law — the  law  of  God. 

"When  man,  or  a  nation,  or  a  continent  of  nations, 
abusing  of  this  free-will  privilege,  departs  from  God, 
forsaking  Him  as  much  as  they  are  permitted,  then 
Jesus  of  Nazareth,  Jehovah's  beloved  son,  becomes 
the  Mediator  between  man  and  his  God. 

"Jesus,  having  lived  among  men  on  earth,  knows 
of  man's  self-willfulness  and  imperfections,  causing 
untold  suffering  to  the  weak,  through  the  loss  or  spoli- 
ation of  their  inheritance.  And  these  sufferings  He, 
Himself,  feels  in  the  very  depth  of  His  loving  heart. 
He  influences  men  upon  the  earth  to  be  just,  to  be 
moral,  to  be  loving  and  to  return  to  God. 

"The  Christ  in  His  exalted  state  may  influence 


36  The  Submissive  Life 

personally  and  speak  directly  to  only  such  chosen 
men  on  earth  as  have  given  up  their  self  wills,  have 
unbounded  faith  in  God,  live  in  entire  submission  to 
Him,  their  lives  being  pure  and  holy.  These  chosen 
people,  to  whom  Christ  may  thus  speak  directly,  are 
the  Prophets. 

"The  Prophets  in  turn  become  mediators  between 
Jesus  and  Man.  Furthermore,  to  help  in  the  great 
work  of  redemption,  many  worthy  and  privileged 
souls  are  being  unfolded  daily  and  become  mediators 
between  the  Prophet  and  Man." 

The  following  sentences  impressed  me  greatly,  as 
they  seemed  to  open  a  new  field  of  study  in  scientific 
psychology : 

"Remember  ye  this,  Our  children,  that  we,  even 
who  stand  behind  the  Throne,  in  order  to  convey  the 
will  of  the  Father  and  of  the  Redeemer  to  the  chil- 
dren on  Earth,  are  powerless,  save  by  means  of  a 
human  battery,  the  elements  of  which  are,  firstly; 
The  Prophets;  secondly,  the  chosen  and  privileged 
souls  who  live  in  entire  submission  and  obedience  to 
the  commandments  of  the  Redeemer. 

"On  your  physical  plane,  or  world,  messages  are 
conveyed  along  lines  connected  with  batteries.  These 
batteries  are  composed  of  individual  elements  or  cells. 
The  more  elements  these  batteries  contain,  the  greater 
their  strength,  the  longer  the  distance  the  messages 
may  be  conveyed.  And  similar  is  the  law  in  our 
Spiritual  world.     The  more  numerous  the  elements, 


The  Submissive  Life  37 

human  elements  in  a  battery,  and  the  greater  the 
number  of  these  human  batteries  grow  to  be,  the 
easier  may  the  commandments  of  Heaven  be  trans- 
mitted to  the  understanding  of  Earth.  Hence  the 
first  need  of  the  good  work  now  going  on  in  your 
world,  is  the  calling  together  of  worthy  human  beings 
or  cells,  form  them  into  numerous  batteries,  and  con- 
necting them  in  thought  and  act  to  a  central  group 
appointed  by  the  Christ.  This  central  group  will  be 
like  the  switch-board  of  a  physical  power  house  from 
which  all  the  currents  are  sent  unto  their  special  mis- 
sion. The  Christ,  through  His  Holy  Angels,  will 
direct  the  divine  influences  wherever  poor  humanity 
is  in  greatest  need  of  redemption.     Amen." 

This  is  the  spirit  if  not  the  exact  letter  of  Revela- 
tion given  forth  by  the  young  Prophet  at  our  last 
reunion  in  my  room  at  the  hotel  in  Los  Angeles. 


CHAPTER  IV, 

AS  IT  IS  ABOVE  SO  IT  IS  BELOW  J     AS  IT  IS  IN 
HEAVEN   SO   IT   IS   ON   EARTH 

In  all  justice,  I  must  confess  that  such  a  message, 
with  its  deep  significance,  was  entirely  unexpected 
by  me.  After  our  customary  luncheon,  I  retired 
to  my  room  and  set  thinking  seriously  about  these 
last  utterances  of  the  young  Prophet.  Slowly  a  deep 
meditative  spirit  crept  over  me. 

"Like  a  switch-board  in  our  physical  power- 
house," I  continued  to  repeat  "batteries  composed 
of  elements  or  cells — a  current  along  lines  conveying 
messages  to  man — The  more  elements  in  a  battery 
the  greater  the  potential." 

The  revealments  of  electrical  science  now  coursed 
through  my  mind  with  rapidity.  What  connection 
might  there  well  be  between  electrical  science  and 
the  laws  of  God  in  their  mysterious  manifestation 
upon  earth,  especially  in  their  direct  influence  upon 
man?  May  these  investigations  result  in  a  further 
proof  of  the  truth  of  the  occult  saying,  so  thoroughly 
accepted  in  the  Orient  "As  it  is  above  so  it  is  below. 
As  it  is  in  Heaven  so  it  is  on  Earth?"  Gradually, 
deeper,  did  I  sink  into  meditation.     My  mind  ran 

38 


The  Submissive  Life  39 

thus:  "God  is  surely  the  all  pervading  element  of 
the  Universe.  He  is  perfect,  He  is  all  in  all!  His 
creation  is  perfect,  and  the  law  that  brought  it  into 
existence  is  perfect.  Hence,  God  can  have  no  in- 
centive whatever  to  interfere  directly  with  His  own 
perfect  creation. 

Christ,  one  of  the  elements  of  God's  creation,  has 
evolved  from  amidst  the  multitudinous  creative  man- 
ifestations of  a  higher  type,  to  the  Sublime  Mag- 
nificence of  Son  of  God,  sitting  on  the  Throne  near- 
est His  Father,  partaking,  in  the  highest  degree,  of 
all  His  divine  attributes,  power,  and  understanding. 
May  we  not  consider  the  Christ,  then,  as  the  trans- 
mitter, at  first  hand,  of  these  powers  of  understand- 
ing, to  the  intelligent  creations  below  Him — His  fel- 
low men  ? 

Continuing  to  delve  ever  deeper  in  the  occult  say- 
ing :  "As  it  is  in  Heaven  so  it  is  on  Earth/'  and  with 
awe  lest  I  be  irreverent,  the  question  squarely  posed 
itself  before  me,  May  I  without  sacrilege  make  the 
following  comparison?  The  Spirit  of  the  Godhead 
permeates  all  that  is,  in  Heaven  and  on  Earth.  That 
other  mysterious  force  we  call  Magnetism  fills  all 
interplanetary  space,  permeates  all  that  is  known  of 
Creation,  things  and  beings!  Magnetism  or  mag- 
netic force  cannot  be  confined  or  insulated  or  con- 
trolled by  man.  It  seems  to  be  the  universal  reser- 
voir of  all  force,  perhaps  of  all  substance.  Its  lines 
of  force  travel,  with  immeasurable  rapidity,  through 


40  The  Submissive  Life 

infiinite  space,  led  on  by  attraction  and  repulsion, 
due  to  polarization.  And  through  this  never  ceasing 
activity,  operating  according  to  the  perfect  law  of 
God,  the  Suns  and  Stars  and  Worlds  are  kept  in 
place,  and  made  to  revolve  in  harmony  with  this 
perfect  law;  and  thus  in  obedience  and  submission 
do  they  proceed  on  their  never  ceasing  pilgrimage, 
toward  their  ultimate  and  ever  mysterious  destiny. 

Continuing  its  musings  my  mind  was  led  to  follow 
up  the  preceding  train  of  thought  in  this  wise. 

"Next  in  power  to  the  magnetic  force  of  the  uni- 
verse comes  the  electrical  force.  Electricity  is  the 
child,  a  derivative  of  magnetism.  If  we  place  an 
obstacle  to  the  swift  course  of  the  magnetic  lines 
of  force,  running  between  the  poles  of  a  magnet — a 
revolving  armature  for  instance  —  this  interference 
with  the  rapidity  of  the  vibratory  motion  of  these 
magnetic  lines  of  force,  will  transform  them  into, 
and  produce,  electricity.  Hence,  electricity  is  of  a 
lower  potential  than  magnetism,  for  electricity  may 
be  controlled  by  man,  even  in  its  highest  known  po- 
tential. It  may  be  insulated,  bottled  up  as  it  were 
in  the  Leyden  Jar,  stored  in  powerful  accumulators 
or  batteries.  In  its  lowest  potential,  as  positively 
ascertained  by  physical  science,  electricity  becomes 
the  beneficent,  and  the  very  life-giving  principle, 
of  all  existences.  However,  the  rapidity  of  the  vibra- 
tory motion  of  the  electrical  current  is  inconceivable, 
and  utterly  destructive  in  its  highest  tension. 


The  Submissive  Life 


41 


May  we  be  permitted  to  give  here  a  table  of  vi- 
brations borrowed  from  the  book,  "Balthazar  the 
Magics/'  followed  by  a  few  remarks  intended  to 
make  our  thesis  as  clear  as  possible  to  the  reader. 
The  vibrations  of  electricity  in  this  table  are  shown 
to  run  from  thirty-three  million  to  thirty-four  thou- 
sand million  vibrations  in  a  second  of  time. 


TABLE  OF  VIBRATIONS. 
Whose  effects  are  recognized  and  studied. 

Number  of  Vibrations  per  second. 

1st  Octave 2 

2d  "     

3d  "      

4th  "     

5th  "     

6th  "     

7th  "     

8th  "     

9th  "     

10th  "     

15th  "     

20th  "     

25th  "     

30th  "     

35th  -     

40th  "     

45th  "  ..:.. 

46th  "   

47th  "   

48th  "   

49th  "   

50th  "   

51st  "   

57th  -   

58th  "   

59th  -   

60th  "   

61st  "     

62d  "       


4 

8 

16    Sound. 

32 

64 

128 

256 

512 

1,024 

, 32,768 

1,047,576 

33,554,432 

1,073,751,824 

34,359,738,368 

1,099,511,627,776 

35,184,372,088,832 

70,368,744,177,644 

140,737,468,355,328 

281,474,976,710,656 

562,949,953,421,312 

. . . .  1,125,899,906,842,624 

....2,251,709,813,685,248 

..144,115,188,075,855,872 

. .  288,230,376, 1 5 1 ,7 1 1 ,744    X-Ray s. 

. .  576,460,752,303,423,488 

.  1,152,921,504,606,846,976 

.2,305,843,009,213,693,952 

.  4,61 1,686,618,427,389,904    Unknown. 


Unknown. 

Electricity. 
u 

a 

Unknown. 
Heat. 


Light. 

Chemical  Rays. 
Unknown. 


£2  The  Submissive  Life 

From  this  table  we  perceive  that  modern,  positive 
material  science  has  stated  and  proved  the  existence 
of  a  definite  number  of  vibrations  which,  in  a  single 
second  of  time,  manifest  themselves  in  a  manner 
which  absolutely  surpasses  human  comprehension. 
The  most  important  fact  shown  by  these  physical 
experiments  is,  that  the  force  which  produces  the 
vibrations,  increases  in  strength  in  direct  ratio  with 
their  number.  Let  me  give  you  an  example  which 
will  prove  the  incomprehensible  power  of  cosmic 
energy.  Suppose  a  cord  to  be  stretched  horizontally, 
and  attached  to  two  fixed  posts.  Draw  the  cord  to 
you  with  sufficient  force  so  that  when  you  release 
it,  it  will  make  sixteen  movements  in  one  second  of 
time,  that  is  to  say,  it  will  vibrate  sixteen  times, 
then  you  will  hear  the  lowest  sound  the  human  ear 
is  capable  of  receiving.  To  obtain  a  higher  note, 
that  is,  to  create  a  greater  number  of  vibrations,  it 
is  necessary  to  exert  a  proportionally  greater  force  in 
snapping  the  cord. 

We  see,  by  the  table,  that  the  vibrations  from  the 
twenty-fifth  octave  to  the  thirty-fifth  octave,  consti- 
tute the  electric  current.  How  prodigious  must  be 
the  energy  which  can  send  this  current  in  the  twenty- 
eighth  part  of  a  second  along  the  trans-atlantic  or 
trans-pacific  cables — from  one  hemisphere  to  an- 
other ! 

However,  let  us  cast  a  glance  at  the  number  of  vi- 
brations, really  bewildering,  of  the  fifty-eighth  to  the 


The  Submissive  Life  43 

sixty-first  octaves  producing  the  X-rays.  What  are 
these  X-rays  ?  They  are  simply  the  rays  of  the  elec- 
tric current  introduced  into  a  tube  where  a  nearly 
absolute  vacuum  has  been  produced,  thus  eliminat- 
ing all  interferences  with  the  natural  velocity  of 
the  vibratory  motion  of  the  current.  This  freedom 
of  action  permits  the  current  to  diffuse  itself  into 
multitudinous,  and  somewhat  mysterious  rays  as  yet, 
but  endowed  with  a  power  of  penetration  capable  of 
rendering  visible  many  substances  absolutely  unper- 
ceivable  by  the  human  eye.  And  still  these  rays  are 
the  children,  the  offspring  of  electricity,  the  legitimate 
grandchildren  of  magnetism. 

In  view  of  all  these  evidences,  might  we  not  be  per- 
mitted to  conceive  the  Omnipresent  magnetic  force 
permeating  the  entire  physical  Universe,  as  the  Om- 
nipotent Physical  Force  of  the  same  Universe,  gov- 
erning and  giving  life  to  all  its  multitudinous  crea- 
tions? Moreover,  inasmuch  as  the  electric  force 
passing  through  an  artificially  produced  "vacuum" 
is  increased  inconceivably  in  its  penetrating  poten- 
tial, may  we  not  reasonably  assume  that  the  mag- 
netic lines  of  force,  passing  through  the  natural 
"vacuum"  ascertained  by  science  to  exist  in  all  inter- 
planetary, yea  in  all  interstellar  space,  undergo  a 
mode  of  transformation  similar  to  that  of  the  electric 
current  projected  in  vacuum,  thereby  increasing  also 
this  magnetic  force  to  an  absolute  universal  physical 
potential  ? 


44  The  Submissive  Life 

And  still  how  gentle  this  destructive  electric  cur- 
rent may  become  at  the  hand  of  man!  By  placing 
a  series  of  well  calculated  interferences,  even  in  the 
most  powerful  current,  it  is  pleased  to  be  of  obedient 
service.  It  lights  our  cities  and  our  homes.  It  runs 
our  street  cars,  heats  our  cooking  vessels,  and  irons 
our  clothes — and  what  not?  By  what  means  does 
man  acquire  control  over  this  inconceivable  power, 
reduce  its  destructive  possibilities  of  death,  and  force 
it  into  a  docile  submission  to  his  commands? 

Man,  through  indefatigable  researches  and  study, 
has  invented  numberless  metallic  and  other  contri- 
vances, compelling  this  terrible  agent  of  destruction 
to  step  down  from  its  high  estate,  and  force  it  into 
obedience  and  service.  These  contrivances  and  de- 
vices lowering  so  effectually  the  immense  potential 
of  electromotive  force,  have  been  named  Trans- 
formers, yea,  Step-down  Transformers,  and  are  in 
universal  use  in  electrical  science. 

And  now  may  we  be  allowed  to  set  forth  some  hy- 
pothesis, surmises  or  suggestions  perhaps,  which  have 
taken  in  our  mind,  as  a  result  of  our  deep  and 
most  sincere  meditations?  We  say  not  conclusions, 
lest  we  might  appear  irreverent. 

If  "it  is  above  as  it  is  below" ;  if  "it  is  in  Heaven 
as  it  is  on  Earth"  might  the  Divine  Immanence 
not  be  conveyed  from  Heaven  to  man,  to  the  animal, 
to  the  plant,  to  the  mineral  by  a  similar  process  of 
transformation,  a  hallowed  lowering  of  the  Divine 


The  Submissive  Life  45 

potential  ?  If  "no  man  can  see  God  and  live,"  is  it 
not,  perhaps,  because  the  Divine  Magnificence  in 
its  highest  potential,  coming  in  direct  contact  with 
man — if  this  were  possible — would  immediately, 
through  instantaneous  spiritualization,  re-integrate, 
absorb,  hence  utterly  dematerialize  man,  matter  be- 
ing thus  spontaneously  transformed  into  spirit,  its 
original  source  whence  all  things  emanate  ? 

Here  again  looms  up  a  dangerously  looking  irrev- 
erent phase ;  but  thought,  undismayed,  will  ever  pro- 
ceed on  its  upward  journey  when,  in  its  innermost 
consciousness,  it  knows  to  be  thoroughly  imbued  with 
all  possible  veneration,  in  its  sincere  and  humble 
searching  for  the  truth,  yea,  a  reaching  out  with  sub- 
missive heart,  towards  God,  the  tender  loving  Father 
of  us  all !  The  spiritual  man  accepts  the  dogma  of 
Divine  Immanence.  God's  effulgence  undeniably 
permeates  all  that  is — nothing  can  exist  outside  of 
God.  It  glories  in  its  highest  potential  in  Heaven! 
In  its  lowest  potential  it  dwells  in  the  mineral  on 
earth,  passing  through  man,  animal  and  the  vegeta- 
ble reign.  How  and  in  what  manner  did  and  does 
this  descent  take  place  ?  Was  it  and  is  it  not  possi- 
bly through  the  processes  of  transformation?  This 
descent  of  Divine  Immanence  to  a  lower  potential 
is  undoubtedly  proceeding  in  accord  with  the  perfect 
law  of  God.  Equally  so,  is  the  transformation  of 
the  incomprehensible  power  of  the  magnetic  force, 
from  its  highest  potential  to  the  low  voltage  of  the 


£6  The  Submissive  Life 

incandescent  lamp,  to  the  life-giving  principle  ani- 
mating the  monera,  the  unicellular  infusorae,  the 
Algoe — yea,  this  process  is  also  ruled  by  perfect  law. 

And  what  are  these  laws?  The  First  Law  is  the 
Omnipotent  Law  of  Spirit,  controlling  and  directing 
all  the  manifestations  of  the  Divine  Essence  in  its 
Infinite  and  never  ending  activity.  The  Second 
Law  is  the  Omnipotent  Law  of  Physical  Force,  direct- 
ing and  controlling  all  matter  in  its  endless  trans- 
formations, in  accordance  and  in  harmony  with  the 
Supreme  FIAT  of  the  Eternal  Spirit ! 

May  there  be,  we  ask  in  all  humility,  any  irrev- 
erence trying  to  establish  a  parallel  between  those 
two  perfectly  divine  laws,  both  laws  decreed  by  the 
Almighty  Himself  in  His  eternal  "EIAT,"  and 
made  to  rule  over  all  His  children,  over  all  that  is  ? 
"NO !  In  protest  we  utter  a  gigantic  NO !  We  feel, 
on  the  contrary,  that  by  this  comparison,  by  this  rev- 
erent search  for  truth,  we  have  grown  nearer  to  God 
through  the  understanding  of  the  laws  that  bind 
us  to  Him,  laws  unfolding  and  testifying  to  His  lov- 
ing care !  Knowing  Him  better  by  a  closer  approach, 
we  are  made  to  appreciate  evermore  the  Majesty 
of  His  Omniscience,  His  Omnipotence,  for,  through 
the  operation  of  these  divine  laws,  He  reaches  down 
to  the  heart  and  soul  of  His  children;  descends  into 
the  lowest  manifestations  of  His  creation,  into  the 
most  seemingly  insignificant  animal  or  plant  or  rock 
of  earth.    In  these  latter  he  takes  His  abode,  patient- 


The  Submissive  Life  47 

ly  awaiting  their  call  for  help,  to  aid  them  along  on 
their  evolutionary  and  eternally  progressive  road. 

Furthermore,  in  our  sublime  flights  into  the  realm 
of  legitimate  soul-dreams,  we  seem  to  perceive  our 
Divine  Father,  sitting  in  full  glory  and  majesty  on 
His  resplendent  throne!  We  see  Him  extending 
towards  earth,  in  effulgent  radiations,  His  paternal 
arms,  enfolding  in  one  gigantic,  supreme  embrace, 
all  the  things  and  beings  His  loving  heart  has  cre- 
ated, and  still  continues  to  create.  We  see  Him,  in 
our  enchanting  reverie,  taking  from  His  own  Divine 
bosom,  hands  full  of  scintillating  jewels,  dispersing 
them  into  the  endles  void,  as  so  many  Suns  and 
Stars  slowly  gathering  into  glowing  galaxies  and 
with  these  irridescent  constellations  He  brilliantly 
illuminates  His  vast  universe!  We  perceive  these 
luminous  bodies  navigating  with  inconceivable  swift- 
ness in  the  midst  of  the  limitless  ocean  of  magnetic 
lines  of  force  encircling  the  Eternal  Throne!  In 
their  stormy  course  we  see  them  constantly  cutting 
these  lines  of  force,  interfering  with  the  rapidity  of 
their  vibratory  motion,  and  like  so  many  brilliantly 
illuminated  armatures  revolving  in  the  midst  of  the 
magnetic  fields  of  infinite  space,  transforming  their 
lines  of  force  into  electrical  force  with  which  they 
surround  and  clothe  themselves  and  have  their  being. 
And  this  electrical  force,  when  these  celestial  arm- 
atures in  their  furibond  course  through  ceons  of  ages 
shall  have  become  planets,  yes,  this  very  electrical 


48  The  Submissive  Life 

force  will  be  the  sustaining  power  of  all  the  life 
that 'will  spring  forth  from  their  bosom,  and  these 
changes  and  mutations  are  produced  by  and  in  accord 
with  that  divine  law  of  God :  The  law  of  Divine  and 
Eternal  Transformation, 

Another  phase  of  Divine  Law  now  confronts  us. 
Our  soul,  however,  rejoices  at  the  cognizance  that 
the  entire  magnetic  force  filling  the  universal  reser- 
voir of  space,  is  not  lessened  in  the  least  by  the  num- 
berless celestial  armatures  revolving  in  its  bosom,  nor, 
by  the  dynamos  of  earth's  multiplied  industries,  all  of 
these  constantly  transforming  its  lines  of  force  into  a 
lower  force,  into  electricity.  And  equally  does  our 
soul  rejoice  in  the  understanding  that  the  Divine 
Presence  is  ever  and  everywhere  manifest  in  the 
entire  Univercoelum ;  that  it  abides  with  us  always 
in  its  absolute  purest,  highest  and  holiest  potential, 
a  potential  never  lessened  through  descent  into  its 
multitudinous  creations;  that  the  noblest  souls  of 
earth  may  continue,  hopefully,  through  prayer,  pure 
and  holy  lives,  lofty  aspiration  and  submission  to 
the  will  of  the  Heavenly  Father,  to  attract  directly, 
absorb,  assimilate  and  become  permeated  with  the 
Divine  Magnificence  until  they  grow  to  be  real 
children  of  God,  devoted  servants  of  the  Eternal. 

The  spiritualization  of  the  human  soul,  this  grad- 
ual climbing  up  to  God,  must  of  necessity,  also  be 
accomplished  through  a  perfect  law  of  the  Father. 


The  Submissive  Life  49 

May  there  not  be  lurking  on  earth  a  law  illustrating 
the  processes  of  this  upward  reaching  and  attain- 
ment? Perhaps  we  may  find  this  law  in  the  same 
electrical  field  we  have  studied  before,  running  also 
parallel  with  the  law  of  Heaven. 

The  spiritualization  of  a  human  soul,  its  approach- 
ing step  by  step  to  its  Father,  is  again  exemplified 
by  our  electric  "transformers,"  this  time  step-up 
transformers  as  utilized  in  every-day  life  on  earth. 
These  step-up  transformers,  by  a  series  of  appro- 
priate contrivances,  increase  the  electrical  voltage 
or  electrical  motive  force  to  a  higher  power,  to  a 
more  rapid  mode  of  vibration,  to  a  greater  potential. 

The  aforementioned  is  another  instance  of  the 
truth  of  the  occult  law  so  little  understood,  so 
divinely  true  and  of  so  potent  an  importance  in  all 
manifestation  of  the  Universal  Law  "As  it  is  above 
so  it  is  below.  As  it  is  in  in  Heaven  so  is  it  on 
Earth."    Amen. 


CHAPTER  V. 

REVELATIONS   GIVEN    BY   THE    PROPHET    IN    THE 
NAPA    MOUNTAINS 

The  time  had  now  come  for  my  journey  home- 
ward. I  met  the  prophet  a  last  time.  It  was  not 
without  a  degree  of  mutual  emotion  that  we  shook 
hands  before  we  parted.  He  promised  to  call  on 
me  at  San  Francisco  as  soon  as  he  would  arrive 
there,  which  he  expected  would  be  in  a  short  time. 
At  the  moment  of  our  last  farewell,  Archie  placed 
his  hand  before  his  eyes  and  uttered  these  words: 

"I  see  two  white  sheep  led  on  by  the  Good  Shep- 
herd, over  a  barren  rocky  field.  These  sheep  seem 
to  be  blind,  by  the  way  they  act  trying  to  find  their 
path.  At  a  goodly  distance  ahead  of  them  I  see 
luxurious  fields  of  beautiful  green  pastures,  sprin- 
kled with  many  wild  flowers.  Toward  these  green 
pastures  the  good  Shepherd  seems  to  direct  these 
sheep." 

Removing  his  hand  from  his  eyes,  Archie  again 
much  moved,  bid  me  good-bye. 

On  the  trip  homeward,  the  steamer  taking  twenty- 
four  hours  to  reach  San  Francisco,  ample  time  was 
afforded  to  reflect  upon  my  meeting  with  the  young 

50 


The  Submissive  Life  &t 

Prophet.  Slowly,  all  the  incidents,  of  our  more 
than  two  weeks  almost  steady  intercourse,  filed  be- 
fore my  memory.  The  uplifting  and  highly  spir- 
itual philosophy  enunciated  in  his  lectures,  his  in- 
teresting conversations  at  my  room,  the  extraordi- 
nary revelation  given  there  concerning  the  way  God 
communicates  with  man,  communications  of  trans- 
cendent and  somewhat  scientific  import.  Added  to 
this,  I  considered  the  endorsement  given  the  Prophet 
in  his  claims  by  such  eminent  men  as  the  Reverend 
Geo.  D.  Castro,  Doctor  of  Philosophy  at  Yale,  and 
several  other  persons  of  note  I  met.  Again  I  re- 
membered the  fact  that  several  ministers  of  the 
Gospel,  accompanied  by  newspaper  correspondents, 
had  gone  twice  to  the  young  prophet  to  interview 
him  with  the  secret  purpose  of  exposing  to  ridicule 
the  exalted  claims  extolled  in  his  book,  "The  Revel- 
ations of  St.  John."  The  outcome  of  these  inter- 
views had  been  that  the  ministers  had  gone  away 
in  wonder,  and  the  newspaper  men  had  remained 
silent. 

Furthermore,  I  could  not  forget  the  extraordinary 
life,  trials  and  ordeals  the  young  prophet  had  gone 
through  in  his  early  years,  seemingly  to  make  him 
realize  how  much  suffering  may  be  heaped  on  poor 
helpless  humanity,  and  thus  arouse  the  tenderest 
sympathies  of  his  young  heart.  Weighing  carefully 
the  pro's  and  con's,  especially  the  cons  or  argu- 
ments against  it,  I  could  not  help  but  be  convinced, 


52  The  Submissive  Life 

that  the  young  Prophet  had  good  and  substantial 
reasons  to  believe,  as  stated  in  his  book,  that  he  had 
been  commissioned  by  the  Eedeemer  to  preach  to  the 
people  of  Earth,  their  redemption  and  deliverance 
through  the  coming  of  the  Christ  announced  as  now 
near  at  hand. 

But  as  our  old  professor  of  geometry  used  to 
state  when  explaining  the  theorem  that  "In  any 
right-angled  triangle,  the  square  of  the  "base  plus 
the  square  of  the  height  is  equal  to  the  square  of  the 
hypothenuse"  he  added  sententiously :  "Which  re- 
mains to  he  proven/' 

We  also  will  wTatch  and  note  what  the  future  will 
reveal  concerning  the  claims  of  Archie  J.  Inger,  our 
dear  young  Prophet. 

Three  weeks  after  my  return  home,  I  received  the 
following  short  epistle: 

Los  Angeles,  Calfornia,  March  28,  1910. 
"My  dear  friend : 

"I  ask  constantly  the  Supreme  Being  to  take  care 
of  you  and  protect  you. 

"I  will  not  write  more  this  time  as  I  expect  to 
start  for  San  Francisco  at  the  beginning  of  next 
week,  I  will  see  you  then. 

"Oh!  how  much  my  heart  rejoices  to  meet  you 
again,  I  cannot  express. 

"Will  the  Holy  Ones  vouchsafe  us  any  more  mes- 
sages ? 


The  Submissive  Life  53 

"Your  friend  forever  according  to  God's  plan, 

"Akchie." 

The  6th  day  of  April,  1910,  Archie  came  to  San 
Francisco.  Glad  indeed  did  we  feel  at  our  reunion. 
He  told  of  his  increased  success  in  Los  Angeles  and 
neighboring  towns;  of  the  large  attendance  at  his 
lectures,  etc.  While  in  my  room  he  felt  impelled 
to  write  the  following: 

'  "Woe?  Woe!  unto  the  Earth,  and  also  Peace." 
There  appears  now  the  Truth  and  the  False  to- 
gether; the  false  Prophet  and  the  true  one.  There 
shall  arise  a  terrible  false  Prophet  in  Europe,  who 
will  unite  with  the  Dragon  of  Pome,  the  Catholic 
Church,  and  bow  down  the  great  powers  of  Europe 
at  whose  hands*  will  fall  and  the  nobles  will  flee 
to  America.  So  America  must  be  got  ready,  and 
the  Servants  of  God  sealed  on  their  foreheads. 
England,  Russia,  Prussia  and  Austria,  the  four 
angels  united  to  check  the  war  of  Napoleon  shall 
soon  let  go,  and  such  time  cometh  as  have  not  been 
known;  so  sayeth  the  Lord  who  is  here  to  bear  you 
through  +£  complete  His  work.  Fear  not  this  for 
my  children:  Nay,  even  death  shall  claim  neither 
of  you  until  I  have  accomplished  my  purpose. 
Amen." 

The  young  Prophet  appearing  much  fatigued;  I 


*Here  was  given  the  name  of  a  nation,  which  we  feel  it 
would  be  unbecoming  to  mention. 


$4  The  Submissive  Life 

proposed  that  he  accompany  me  to  my  ranch  in  the 
Napa  Mountains,  for  a  few  days  rest.  He  accepted 
readily.    We  agreed  to  start  on  April  the  9th. 

"I  will  introduce  you,"  I  told  him,  "to  a  place 
I  have  named  my  'Sanctuary/  because  I  wrote  my 
three  books  there.  I  own  six  hundred  and  forty 
acres  of  the  most  beautiful  rock  you  have  ever  seen, 
and  a  mountain  two  thousand  feet  high,  Mount 
George,  looming  up  majestically  in  the  midst  of  it. 
Many  lovely  springs  gush  forth  from  the  roofs, 
giving  an  abundance  of  the  purest  water  on  earth, 
permeated  with  life-giving  radiations;  an  atmo- 
sphere unequalled  for  its  mildness  and  tonic  prop- 
erties, and  from  the  front  porch  of  the  'Sanctuary/ 
an  enchanting  vista  covering  a  range  of  fifty  miles, 
will  meet  your  wondering  eye.  You  will  see  the 
fertile  Napa  Valley  in  its  entire  length,  with  its 
silvery  river,  electric  railways,  prosperous  farms,  its 
feet  bathing  in  the  San  Francisco  bay,  its  head 
calmly  resting  on  the  bosom  of  Mount  St.  Helena. 

"So  you  see,  my  dear  Prophet,  you  will  have 
abundant  room  for  all  the  evolutions  you  may  wish 
to  disport,  affording  you  the  physical  exercise  you 
seem  badly  to  need.  When  your  mood  will  run  to 
meditation,  a  comfortable  rocking  chair,  on  the  front 
porch,  will  bring  you  face  to  face  with  the  loveliest 
spot  of  natural  beauty  imaginable.  The  coast  range 
of  mountains  will  draw  its  picturesque  line  on  tEe 


The  Submissive  Life  55 

transparent  azure  of  the  bluest  of  blue  California 
skies.  No  more  appropriate  spot  could  be  found  for 
holy  meditation  or  communion." 

At  this  moment,  Archie  waved  one  hand  at  me 
as  if  asking  for  silence;  the  other  hand  he  placed 
before  his  eyes.     He  spoke  as  follows: 

"I  see  three  holy  men  going  through  the  ceremony 
of  consecrating  your  'Sanctuary'  to  our  work.  There, 
Jehovah  will  vouchsafe  the  needed  Kevelations  or 
instructions  to  carry  out  His  proposed  plans." 

On  April  the  9th,  the  day  appointed  for  our  trip, 
we  arrived  at  the  ranch  at  2  P.  M.  We  proceeded 
immediately  to  arrange  things  as  comfortable  as 
possible.  We  found,  however,  that  taking  advan- 
tage of  my  long  absence,  some  kind  visitors  to  my 
springs  and  mountain,  had  broken  into  the  house 
and  carried  away  bedding  and  other  articles.  The 
following  note,  written  in  large  letters  and  good 
hand,  was  left  on  the  dining-room  table  by  the  un- 
invited visitors: 

"We  thank  you,  dear  Sir,  for  the  hospitality  we 
have  enjoyed  for  several  days  in  your  comfortable 
country  home.  We  regret  much  not  to  have  found  a 
larger  amount  of  provisions  in  your  storeroom  which 
obliged  us,  to  our  great  regret,  to  leave  you  sooner. 
Pardon  us  for  taking  a  few  souvenirs ;  we  may  assure 


56  The  Submissive  Life 

you  that  they  will  always  cause  us  to  remember  your 
home  with  a  delightful  sense  of  humor. 

"Very  respectfully  and  with  love,  Ah !  Ah ! 
A  No.  1  and  Ms  pall. 
Graduates  of  the  University  of  Get-all-you-can,  and 
dont  give  a  d " 

We  had  a  splendid  opportunity  then  and  there, 
Archie  and  I,  to  exercise  our  patience,  and  to  put 
into  practice,  by  strenuous  effort,  the  advice  of  An- 
drew Jackson  Davis :  "Under  all  circumstances  keep 
an  even  mind." 

At  eve  we  took  seats  around  the  warm  stove,  for 
it  was  a  cold  night,  trying  to  find  rest,  compose  our- 
selves, meditate  a  little  and  then  retire.  The  spirit, 
however,  suddenly  overshadowed  Archie  and  feeling 
the  strong  influence,  he  spoke  the  following  invoca- 
tion: 

aO !  Infinite  Father,  surround  us  with  thy  angels ! 
Wilt  thou  absorb  our  wills  unto  thine  own  ?  We  are 
weak  but  thou  art  able;  guide  us  by  Thy  powerful 
hand.  Inspire  us  with  Faith,  hope,  constancy  and 
charity.  O!  God,  in  the  name  of  Christ,  make  us 
one  with  Thee,  with  Him  and  with  the  Angels — 
Amen! 

"Thou  must  be  of  the  Highest,"  spake  Archie  un- 
der inspiration,  "and  though  Hell  shall  be  arrayed 
against  you  it  shall  lose  its  battle,  and  then  measure 


The  Submissive  Life  57 

thy  victory  with  thy  sorrows,  knowing  that  good  is 
to  conquer. 

"Kemember,"  continued  the  Spirit  through  Archie, 
"that  Jesus  of  Nazareth  is  the  highest  of  soul  from 
this  creation.  Be  ye  under  His  direction,  and  with 
the  same  waters  of  Heaven  be  you  baptized  and 
bound  together." 

Then  Archie  beheld  a  vision  in  a  beautiful  efful- 
gent white  light.  From  a  point  high  in  air  there 
issued  a  number  of  silver  cords  going  in  many  direc- 
tions ending  in  separate  individuals  in  all  parts  of 
the  earth.  As  the  invisible  hands,  that  held  these 
cords  in  space,  ascended  higher  and  higher,  the  in- 
dividuals to  which  these  cords  were  attached  seemed 
to  be  pulled  closer  and  closer  together,  framing  the 
many,  as  it  appeared,  in  one  grand  family.  Then 
a  voice,  sweet  as  of  heaven  spoke  "you  are  the 
parental  center,  and  around  you  will  you  gather 
many  children." 

The  next  day  was  Sunday.  Archie  rose  early 
and  through  brush  and  shrub  wound  his  way  to  the 
top  of  Mount  George.  He  returned  very  fatigued 
but  delighted,  and  partook  of  a  hearty  meal.  After 
a  little  rest  he  started  out  again,  rambled  over  a 
great  part  of  the  ranch,  gathering  many  flowers  of 
which  he  was  very  fond.  He  often  exclaimed  when 
selecting  a  specimen  from  the  bouquet  he  had  gath- 
ered: "Oh!  I  must  paint  this  one,  and  that  one! 
Perhaps  you  do  not  know  as  yet,  my  dear  brother," 


58  The  Submissive  Life 

he  said  addressing  me,  "that  I  make  a  living  for  my 
mother  and  my  little  brothers  by  painting  china- 
ware,  plates,  vases,  and  other  objects,  often  receiv- 
ing orders  to  decorate  table  services  for  wedding 
gifts  for  wealthy  people.  These  mountain  flowers 
will  be  something  original,  they  are  so  bright  in 
colors  and  so  comely  in  shape." 

And  in  this  wise  was  spent  the  first  real  day  at 
the  ranch. 

Sunday  Evening,  April  10th,  7  P.  M. 

After  an  eloquent  invocation  the  following  was 
given  through  the  young  prophet: 

"Your  first  work.  Search  me  out  a  worthy  num- 
ber. This  number  I  have  already  called  who  live  in 
all  parts  of  the  Earth.  I  will  bring  them,  one  by 
one,  unto  you,  and  they  shall  be  tried  and  chosen. 
You  will  lead,  gradually,  to  the  climax  of  your  work, 
hardly  able  to  realize  its  glorious  fulfillment,  when 
in  a  twinkling  of  an  eye,  like  the  opening  of  a  bud, 
it  will  beam  forth  suddenly. 

"Fear  not  my  children;  this  is  a  work  known 
from  the  beginning.  Ye  are  but  chosen  to  take  part 
because  you  are  willing,  and  when  you  have  found 
my  chosen  number,  I  will  send  them  over  the  sur- 
face of  tHe  Earth,  and  endow  them  with  power  to 
shut  heaven  that  it  rain  not  in  the  days  of  their 
prophecy.    And  they  shall  prophesy  three  and  a  half 


The  Submissive  Life  59 

years  before  every  town,  nation  and  people,  that  man 
knoweth  that  I  am  God. 

"It  is  designed  that  thou,  the  elder  Brother,  shalt 
see  these  great  things.  Tremble  not  because  of  thy 
age,  we  shall  add  to  it  year  by  year.  We  are  yet  to 
astonish  men  through  thee. 

"And  then  shall  the  end  come,  the  end  of  all 
nations,  and  there  shall  be  one  more  Universal  Em- 
pire; and  over  the  world  shall  be  set  one  king; 
and  it  shall  be  so  always,  and  that  time  cometh 
within  two  more  generations  when  all  this  shall  be 
fulfilled. 

"The  blessing  of  Jehovah  rests  upon  your  heads. 
It  will  never  forsake  thee  nor  lose  sight  of  thee.  In 
the  name  of  the  Great  Kedeemer!     Amen! 

Monday  Evening,  April  11th. 

After  the  invocation,  the  following  was  given 
through  Archie  relating  to  himself: 

"Whatsoever  Jehovah  said  unto  us  we  will  trans- 
mit unto  thee.  He  hath  pronounced  thee  His  humble 
servant,  saying:  'Let  the  Angels  rejoice,  there  is  a 
man-child  born  unto  the  Kingdom.' 

"Listen  to  what  we  say  unto  thee.  Say  unto  the 
people  this  is  the  commandment  of  Jehovah;  that  I 
find  no  submission  in  the  hearts  of  men.  But,  not- 
withstanding, that  you  have  disobeyed  Me,  O !  Earth, 
through  you  my  children  I  will  give  to  the  world 


60  The  Submissive  Life 

just  warning  before  that  I  overthrow  you  all.  Now 
my  children,  when  I  have  called  you  all  together, 
then  shall  I  send  some  of  you  unto  every  city  and 
warn  and  plead,  and  whosoever  rejects,  I  shall  cause 
them  to  smite  each  other,  but  whosoever  receiveth 
I  will  spare.     So  said  the  Lord. 

"Eow  unto  you,  the  elder  Brother.  Commence  in 
thy  letters  unto  thy  friends  in  Europe,  for  with  them 
thou  canst  be  bold  and  neither  will  harm  come  to 
thee.  Tell  them  thou  hast  heard  from  Jehovah  and 
that  not  only  Europe  but  the  world  stands  at  the 
Gate  of  Judgment ;  that  they  are  all  found  wanting. 
Say  unto  them;  that  if  Europe  be  spared,  the  sacri- 
fice and  hardships  must  be  borne  on  the  shoulders  of 
Koyalty,  for  the  poor  the  Lord  hath  already  received, 
not  from  their  worthiness  but  for  their  suffering. 

"At  first,  my  child,  they  will  receive  thy  word 
with  caution  and  in  bewilderment;  give  thee  slight 
heed,  but  a  calamity  which  is  hovering  over  Europe 
will  cause  them  fright  and  they  will  turn  to  thee 
with  outstretched  arms.  Unless  thou  sayest  these 
words  unto  them,  they  would  know  no  shepherd 
when  this  time  cometh. 

"I  will  put  about  your  heads  a  rainbow  and  give 
you  a  diadem  of  power  wherewith  to  smite  and 
build  the  earth. 

"The  great  result  cometh  in  three  years  but  will 
be  seen  in  the  overturning  of  all  things — not  one 
thing — at  which  the   world  will  become   alarmed, 


The  Submissive  Life  61 

thinking  that  disaster  threatens  civilization,  but  not 
disaster,  only  a  struggle  of  death,  a  renewal  of  Life 
and  then  Peace.    Peace  I  say  unto  you  everlasting! 

"In  so  short  a  space  of  time  there  cometh  mes- 
sengers to  overshadow  the  Elder  Brother  with  the 
writing  of  a  very  small  book  which  we  have  named 
'The  Submissive  Life.'  In  this  will  they  find  a 
guide  unto  me. 

"Ye  will  find  many  times  to  feel  impatient,  but 
worry  not,  it  shall  all  come  to  pass." 

Before  we  arose  to  retire,  the  following  sentences 
were  given  in  addition  to  the  foregoing  in  answer  to 
desultory  conversation  in  regard  to  these  revelations 
and  in  connection  with  ourselves. 

"As  a  gardener  pruneth  his  trees  I  will  prune  the 
Earth." 

"Much  has  been  given  you,  much  will  be  required 
of  you!" 

"No  man  hath  friends  except  he  who  hath  us." 

Tuesday,  April  12,  1910,  7:30  P.  M. 

Archie  made  the  following  invocation: 
"O !  God,  wilt  Thou  make  our  desire  Thy  desire. 
Permit  us,  O!  Father,  not  to  be  only  brothers  to 
mankind,  but  as  foster-parents  unto  them.  Cause 
us  to  see,  O !  God,  as  we  are  seen,  help  us  to  put  no 
false  values  upon  things,  but  to  view  all  things  as 
they  are.     Help  us  never  to  forget  ourselves  and 


62  '  The  Submissive  Life 

our  duties  toward  men.  Give  us  to  realize  our  re- 
sponsibilities and  strength  that  we  may  never  for- 
sake them.  This  we  ask,  O!  Father,  and  all  else 
that  our  wisdom  may  not  be  sufficient  to  see  as  neces- 
sary; but  Thou  knowest  and  we  will  depend  upon 
Thee.  All  these  blessings  in  the  name  of  Truth 
and  Mercy  and  Justice,  we  beseech  Thee  to  grant 
us.    Amen." 

Message. 

"Very  important  decisions  have  been  settled  upon 
to-day,  and  your  coming  here  shall  be  a  seed  to  many 
wonders!  If  we  told  you  all,  its  magnitude  would 
make  you  doubtful,  therefore  Jehovah  bids  us  with- 
hold, but  in  proper  time  you  shall  know  all. 

"We  will  use  you  to  catch  all  things  at  its  point 
of  overturning.  Therefore  must  we  quietly  and 
modestly,  as  always  becomes  the  Spirit,  bring  the 
younger  brother  gradually  into  prominence;  and  all 
who  expect  to  find  favor  with  the  people  and  with 
God,  must  receive  his  work  as  coming  from  Me. 

"The  Prophet  must  continue  to  speak. 

"In  the  United  States  he  must  reform  Christi- 
anity; and  when  this  is  reformed  the  work  is  ac- 
complished; we  will  give  him  sufficient  material. 
He  must  show  the  folly  of  law.  He  must  expose  the 
condition  of  almshouses,  asylums,  reformatories,  hos- 
pitals and  prisons.    Thy  Angels  weep  from  beholding 


The  Submissive  Life  63 

the  cruelties  practised  there.  They  force  wickedness 
to  exist  upon  the  Earth  and  to  make  criminals  for 
society,  and  punish  without  forgiveness.  The  things 
that  exist  there  we  will  reveal  to  you,  and  bring  to 
you  eye-witnesses  that  you  may  prove  your  asser- 
tions.   The  public  is  blind  and  must  be  enlightened. 

"Keep  ye  close  together  when  opportunity  will 
permit,  for  our  Message  here  is  now  about  finished. 
There  are  needed  things  for  my  prophet  to  do. 

"Be  ye  careful  and  trouble  not  Jehovah  by  things 
you  should  not  know  before  the  time. 

"With  this  we  bless  thee  ten  fold.    Amen." 

Wednesday,  April  13,  7:30  P.  M. 

Invocation. 
Message  through  Archie. 

"Oh !  my  children,  when  ye  are  launched  into  this 
work,  ye  become  as  ships  upon  the  ocean ;  ye  have  no 
landmarks;  'the  Light  of  God'  is  your  compass, 
salvation  your  destiny,  and  with  this  alone  ye  learn 
to  work.  Lay  your  burdens  upon  Jehovah,  and  he 
will  carry  them.  Your  words  shall  be  fulfilled.  Be 
ye  careful  what  ye  say,  and  speak  always  good  things 
for  the  Lord  to  fulfill.  Messengers  shall  be  sent  to 
expose  all  deceptions  of  the  Earth  and  bring  them 
to  the  surface;  and  all  men  will  work  by  a  spirit, 
some  under  evil,  some  under  good,  but  henceforth 


64  The  Submissive  Life 

God  will  control  them  both,  for  henceforth  neither 
good  nor  evil  shall  remain  hidden. 

"The  younger  Brother  will  become  discouraged 
through  the  lack  of  patience.  We  warn  him  against 
that  time.  We  will  give  the  elder  Brother  sufficient 
health,  and  though  the  body  cannot  be  made  young 
again,  it  can  be  given  strength.  We  can  spare  any 
man. 

"We  rejoice  that  ye  have  received  so  readily.  We 
are  with  you  always  unto  the  end  of  things !  Depart 
upon  the  morrow;  it  is  time. 

"!Now  join  ye  your  hands  while  the  younger 
Brother  pronounces  the  Lord's  Prayer!"  The 
Lord's  Prayer  was  pronounced  by  Archie  with  pro- 
found emotion. 

"Good  night,  we  say  unto  you  good  night." 

The  next  day,  April  14th,  we  started  for  home, 
Archie  going  to  Oakland,  I  to  San  Francisco. 


CHAPTER  VI 

MORE   ABOUT    THE    PROPHET 

During  those  few  days  passed  at  the  ranch,  of  close 
contact  and  steady  observation,  I  was  amazed  to  find 
in  this  young  prophet  of  God  a  simple  pure  child, 
sweet,  loving  in  nature,  seemingly  without  any  per- 
sonality or  individuality  whatever,  content  to  live  in 
the  sunshine  of  Heaven,  grow  and  blossom  under  it, 
instinctively  obeying  the  Holy  influences  that  seem 
constantly  to  surround  him,  and  to  a  certain  extent 
guide  his  actions  without  absolutely  controlling  them. 
He  appeared  more  and  more  to  me  like  a  plant,  a 
spiritual  plant  without  any  decided  will  of  its  own, 
or  a  self-willed,  nurtured  in  mind  and  thought  by 
God's  angels  and  refreshed  by  the  dews  of  Heaven. 

Archie  never  referred  for  one  moment  to  the  con- 
nection the  Revelations  given  through  him  seemed  to 
have  established  between  myself  and  his  future  work. 
He  appeared  to  have  forgotten  all  about  the  state- 
ments he  had  uttered  in  this  regard. 

After  much  thought,  I  could  not  help  but  become 
convinced  that  his  mind  was  absolutely  devoid  of  any 
premeditation  to  connect  me  with  the  Revelations, 
revelations  he  claimed,  having  for  their  sole  mission 

65 


66  The  Submissive  Life 

the  redemption  of  the  greater  part  of  the  people  from 
their  actual  condition  of  utter  selfishness,  and,  as  a 
consequence,  or  primarily  so,  perhaps,  to  relieve  the 
masses  of  their  unmerited  and  often  irremediable 
sufferings. 

A  few  days  after  our  return  home,  Archie  wrote 
me  a  letter  stating  that  he  had  gone  to  Long  Beach, 
California,  whither  he  had  been  called  in  consulta- 
tion by  missionaries  recently  returned  from  India, 
where  they  had  succeeded  in  establishing  a  large  and 
prospering  agricultural  colony  of  Christianized  Hin- 
doos. 

During  Archie's  absence,  lasting  nearly  a  month, 
I  worked  steadily  on  "The  Strenuous  Life  Spirit- 
ual," at  the  same  time  keeping  up  a  voluminous 
correspondence  with  my  European  friends,  especially 
of  Nice,  Monaco,  Monte  Carlo,  Cape  Martin,  and  the 
French  Mediterranean  shore  called  the  Cote  d'Azur, 
also  with  dear  friends  in  Paris,  and  the  many  faith- 
ful adepts  of  Antoine,  the  Belgian  remarkable  healer 
of  Jemeppe-Sur-Meuse,  with  whom  I  had  passed  an 
entire  month.  All  of  these  notable  and  many  lovingly 
evolved  souls  had  received  me  with  open  arms  in  their 
beautiful  homes,  on  my  late  European  trip,  for  many 
belonged  to  the  high  nobility. 

This  extensive  writing  and  correspondence,  al- 
though the  latter  is  very  lovely  and  interesting,  had 
nevertheless  overtaxed  my  strength.    Tired  and  ner- 


The  Submissive  Life  67 

vous,  I  felt  the  need  of  a  good,  long  rest,  and  I  de- 
cided to  take  it  at  the  first  opportunity. 

Meanwhile,  Archie  had  returned  from  Long  Beach. 
He  came  to  see  me  at  my  home,  on  May  the  20th, 
1910.  After  some  desultory  conversation  on  general 
topics — (Archie  did  not  mention  the  object  nor  the 
result  of  his  visit  to  the  Indian  missionaries) — he 
spontaneously  moved  his  chair  closer  to  mine,  took 
my  hands,  composed  himself  for  a  minute,  then  spoke 
as  follows: 

"Again  the  Angels  rejoice  saying:  'all  is  well.' 
The  Redeemer  sends  unto  you  his  Message  of  prom- 
ise. 

"Work  on  cheerfully,  my  son,  for  ye  can  soon  lay 
down  your  brushes  for  all  time.  Expect  but  little 
from  men,  yet  great  may  be  your  expectation  from 
Jehovah,  for  behold  I  say  unto  you,  'God  will  he 
what  you  take  him  to  he;  if  you  look  unto  Him  as  a 
hig  God,  hehold  He  is  that;  if  you  limit  Him,  He  is 
that/  Trust  him  then  as  your  parent,  and  he  shall 
turn  all  evil  into  blessings." 

A  few  days  after  this  meeting,  I  started  for  Long 
Beach,  the  seaside  resort  just  left  by  Archie.  He  had 
spoken  so  warmly  of  the  balmy,  cool  summer  atmo- 
sphere and  peace  reigning  in  that  little  city  by  the 
sea  that  I  immediately  made  up  my  mind  to  proceed 
thither  in  quest  of  all  those  good  things  he  had  re- 
lated as  existing  there,  and  to  Long  Beach  I  went. 
I  enjoyed  very  much  indeed  the  calm  reigning  in  that 


68  The  Submissive  Life 

very  religions  city.  Two  months  were  passed  there  in 
absolute  rest.  My  health  had  much  improved  and 
I  returned  home  in  excellent  spirits. 

After  a  few  days'  rest  I  went  to  see  Archie  at  his 
mother's  house  in  Oakland.  It  was  on  the  26th  day 
of  July,  1910.  We  were  happy,  of  course,  at  our 
meeting  again.  After  a  half  hour  passed  in  relating 
our  mutual  doings  during  these  two  months  of  long 
separation,  we  joined  hands.  Archie,  feeling  the 
spirit  overshadowing  him,  made  a  beautiful  invoca- 
tion. 

Message 

"In  this  work,  which  is  to  be  the  final  end  of  all 
things  upon  Earth,  there  are  many  seasons,  and  a 
time  for  each  season.  Each  day  thou  art  brought  up 
higher  in  spirit,  to  be  more  and  more  under  the  con- 
trol of  the  Great  King,  Jesus  of  Nazareth.  He  it 
was  who  prophesied  this  thing,  and  in  Him  must  the 
prophesy  be  fulfilled,  to  which  a  new  end  and  epoch 
will  soon  begin. 

"The  blooming  of  the  flower  is  accomplished  in  an 
hour,  after  the  plant  and  the  bud  have  grown.  In 
this  wise,  and  in  everything,  the  Holiness  of  the  Lord 
shall  be  known.  While  you  write  your  letters,  plant- 
ing here  a  seed  and  there  a  root,  the  Great  Thing 
goes  on.  Then,  there  is  a  compiling  and  a  drawing 
together  of  your  efforts,  when  suddenly,  even  as  the 


The  Submissive  Life  69 

Sun  bursteth  forth  from  behind  the  clouds  of  a  fierce 
storm,  so  will  the  result  of  all  your  work  be  seen, 
and  as  suddenly.    Do  not,  therefore,  worry  at  all. 

"Put  thy  trust  in  the  Great  Jehovah's  never  fail- 
ing hand,  for  He  is  more  powerful  than  all  creation, 
and  He  called  the  younger  Brother  before  he  had 
taken  on  flesh  in  his  mother's  womb. 

"The  thing  to  be  accomplished  now,  is,  the  prophet 
must  be  given  a  center  place  where  his  family  will 
not  be  scattered,  that  he  and  his  mother  will  be  free 
without  the  material  fetters  that  now  surround  them. 
We  will  also  afford  a  place  for  the  Highly  chosen 
to  gather  frequently  to  recharge  their  spirits  with 
Heaven's  spirit,  and  thus  bring  them  closer  to  the 
Angels. 

The  prophet  is  young  and  needs  to  be  taught  by  ex- 
perience, which  would  be  perverted  were  it  not  for  his 
hard  time;  but  even  now  things  have  changed,  and 
angels  are  sent  to  provide  the  material.  However, 
keep  on  striving,  for  it  is  not  well,  in  earthly  affairs, 
to  be  found  guilty  of  neglect. 

"Blessings  unto  you!" 

Sunday,  August  28,  11  A.   M.,   at  1408  Carlton 
Street,  West  Berkeley. 

Invocation  by  Archie. 

Message 

"CROWNS     OF     LIGHT,    CROWNS     OE 


70  The  Submissive  Life 

GLORY,    CROWNS    OF    SUFFERING    AND 
CROWNS  OF  JOY,  I  SEE  FOR  THEE." 

"Selestor." 

"To  God's  instruments  of  the  flesh ! 

"How  clear  we  do  speak  to  Thee,  yet  how  low. 
How  infinite  will  be  our  guidance,  how  slow,  how 
even  and  sure.  Knowest  thou  not  why  all  this  is, 
and  our  presence  is  not  seen  clearer,  sometimes  when 
the  voice  of  thy  soul  cries  out  for  help  in  words ;  when 
at  the  times  that  the  flesh,  in  its  nature,  forgets  that 
without  a  word,  without  a  sound,  without  a  vision  or 
any  sign  that  is  visible,  thy  affairs  are  in  the  grasp 
of  our  hands,  that  we  hold  them  as  a  director,  blow 
upon  them  as  a  mighty  wind  which  cometh  from 
Jehovah's  nostrils,  to  blow  them  and  to  turn  them  in 
one  right  direction  ?  But  in  all  of  this  God  said  in 
the  Beginning,  'Thou  shalt  not  take  away  the  inher- 
itance of  men.'  Therefore  all  there  is  to  do,  which  is 
great  and  mighty,  we  sometimes  withhold  our  voice, 
leading  thee  about,  giving  thee  strength,  wisdom 
and  endurance,  until  thou  hast  done  the  thing  we  will. 

"To  us  no  man  is  in  bondage.  We  destroy  no 
man's  individuality,  use  no  man  as  a  tool,  but  help 
each  man  to  be  a  perfect  tool,  and  a  perfect  master. 

"We  put  the  light  before  him,  and  let  him  take 
it  in,  and  then  he  acts  as  it  is  within  himself.  Be 
not  afraid.  Thou  doest  well.  We  who  command  the 
winds  will  array  thee  like  the  flowers,  so  long  as  thy 
heart  is  to  do  God's  Will. 


The  Submissive  Life  71 

"To  be  sure,  Europe  is  ready.  Europe  is  old,  she 
droppeth  to  the  evening  of  life.  Why  should  she  not 
be  ready?  Behold!  did  not  France  support  the 
wicked  dragon  of  Rome  the  least  number  of  years 
of  any?    Why?    Because  she  is  blessed! 

"Angels  hath  gone  already  to  prepare  the  way, 
while  we,  who  are  here,  help  to  arrange  material 
affairs  to  give  wherewith. 

"Blessings  unto  thee !    Amen." 

"Regarding  the  sin  you  speak  of,  as  to  the  ques- 
tioning of  the  truth  of  these  Revelations  and  their 
origin,  know  ye  this,  our  dear  children,  in  the  whole 
Universe  of  Thought,  there  is  nothing  too  sacred  to 
be  questioned;  and  that  which  cannot  withstand  the 
strongest  lens  of  criticism  is  not  true.  All  that  we 
will  ask  is  that  you  keep  your  scale  of  judgment 
unbiased." 


CHAPTER   yil 

A  REVEALED  PROPHECY  REALIZED 

In  the  beginning  of  the  month  of  October,  1910, 
business  called  me  to  New  York,  and  thence  to  New 
Orleans.  While  in  those  cities,  I  corresponded  with 
some  of  any  European  friends,  and  made  them  ac- 
quainted with  the  Prophet's  work,  sending  to  a  few 
a  copy  of  the  Revelations  vouchsafed  to  us  at  my 
ranch,  in  the  Napa  Mountains,  and  of  which  we 
have  given  only  short  extracts  in  the  preceding  pages. 

On  my  return  home  from  the  East,  in  February, 
1911,  after  about  four  months'  absence,  I  wrote  to 
Archie  apprising  him  of  my  arrival  home,  at  the 
same  time  asking  when  it  would  be  convenient  for 
him  to  receive  me.  The  answer,  expressing  gladness 
at  my  return,  stated  that  he  would  wait  for  me  at 
such  an  hour  and  day  at  Berkeley,  where  he  had 
moved  with  his  mother  and  brothers.  He  described 
an  itinerary  for  me  to  follow,  leading  to  his  house, 
"newly  painted  green,  with  white  trimmings." 

And  to  Berkeley  I  went,  wondering  why  the  young 
prophet  kept  moving  about  at  such  regular  intervals. 

Archie's  new  abode  is  quite  a  distance  from  the 
heart  of  the  city,  and  I  was  obliged  to  ask  my  way 

72 


The  Submissive  Life  73 

several  times  of  passers-by.  On  arriving,  I  found 
the  house  "newly  painted  green,  with  white  trim- 
mings," as  he  had  indicated.  The  entrance  was  nearly 
blockaded  by  several  long,  massive  timbers. 

Of  course,  Archie  was  glad  to  see  me,  and  I  heart- 
ily reciprocated  that  feeling.  After  being  seated  I 
inquired : 

"For  heaven's  sake,  Archie,  what  signifies  all  this 
changing  about?  You  seem  to  be  afflicted  with  the 
moving  fever?" 

"I  think  we  are  settled  now,"  he  replied  with  his 
happy,  youthful  smile.  "You  will  remember  that 
the  Holy  Ones,  some  time  ago,  predicted  that  a  home 
or  central  place  for  my  mother  and  family  was  neces- 
sary, so  we  might  not  be  scattered  any  longer.  Well, 
the  thing  has  come  to  pass.  A  friend  made  us  a 
present  of  a  lot,  the  ground  upon  which  this  house 
now  stands.  Soon  after  having  received  this  gen- 
erous gift,  we  noticed,  on  an  old  house,  a  sign  reading 
"House  for  sale  to  be  removed."  We  bought  the 
house,  moved  it  on  to  this  lot,  you  see  the  timbers  help- 
ing the  removal  lying  yet  before  the  door.  I  painted 
the  house  myself,  and  laid  the  cement  side-walk. 
We  mortgaged  the  house  and  lot  for  nine  hundred 
dollars,  which  paid  all  expenses,  trusting  to  the  Good 
Lord  for  the  repayment  of  the  same.  Friends  fur- 
nished many  plants  I  set  out  myself,  and  you  see 
flowers  all  round.  Still,  I  seem  to  feel,"  continued 
Archie  after  a  pause,  "that  this  will  not  be  our  per- 


74  The  Submissive  Life 

manent  abode,  but  rather  a  step  toward  acquiring 
one  later.  My  life,  I  am  most  certain,  will  be  the 
life  of  a  wanderer,  to  go  whithersoever  Jehovah  may 
direct." 

Archie,  feeling  the  Holy  Presence  overshadowing 
him,  brought  his  chair  close  to  mine  and  we  joined 
hands. 

Given  at  Archie's  Home  at  Berkeley,  California, 
February  7,  1911,  noontime. 

Invocation  by  the  Elder  Brother,  thanking  Jehovah 
and  the  Redeemer  for  the  ample  protection  and 
guidance,  afforded  him  during  his  recent  travels 
East,  and  his  long  absence. 

'Archie  followed  with  this  prayer : 

"Our  most  Revered  Master,  we  ask  to  have  a 
power  bestowed  upon  us  of  doing  Thy  will  and  listen- 
ing to  Thy  Holy  dictation.  Open  our  hearts  to  re- 
ceive them  properly,  and  disperse  forces  that  in  any 
way  may  bind  our  hearts  and  minds  to  the  material. 
Enter  us  with  Thy  Holy  Spirit,  and  make  us  Thine 
now  and  forever.    Amen." 

The  Message 

"Greeting  to  you,  our  most  willing  servants. 

"We  rejoice  with  you  that  we  have,  once  more, 
brought  you  together,  that  we  may  all  drink  from 
that  water  which  cometh  down  from  Heaven,  and 
shall  satisfy  the  Eternal  thirst.  Our  most  joyful  news 


The  Submissive  Life  75 

unto  you  is,  that  we  have  been  pleased  with  your 
efforts,  and  especially  blessed  by  your  unfaltering 
devotion. 

"The  Elder  Brother's  work  in  Europe  has  in- 
deed added  many  threads  to  the  web  of  your  suc- 
cess. It  is  the  foundation  above  all  which  must  be 
erected  strong,  and  day  by  day,  you  are  leading  to 
the  heart  of  evil.  All  men  will  soon  help  to  raise 
the  veil  that  now  mystifies  them,  and  you  can  soon 
be  transported  into  the  Spiritual  realm,  where  you 
shall  see  and  know  all  as  living  children  of  God! 
You  have  indeed  proven  worthy,  and  the  stepping 
stones  are  laid. 

"Each  day  will  bring  to  you  both  greater  cause  to 
bless  the  time  when  you  came  into  each  other's  lives, 
and  entered  God's  Throne  with  us,  for  we  will  anoint 
the  eyes  of  the  'two  blind  sheep'  with  that  which  shall 
open  them  to  behold  their  pasture ;  see  that  you  water 
it  well. 

"Kemain  quiet,  and  as  free  from  business  as  pos- 
sible, in  San  Francisco  for  a  time,  and  then  we  will 
send  you  away.  We  do  not  speak  in  detail  of  this, 
until  the  time  approaches  nearer.  In  the  meantime, 
we  can  easily  provide  and  straighten  such  things  as 
now  preplex  you.  It  shall  open  as  a  bud  when  kissed 
by  the  sun. 

"How  great  and  glorious,  yet  naturally,  the  reign 
of  your  work  is  approaching!  All  is  at  peace,  and 
you  have  no  cause  to  fear  anything;  just  meet  to- 


76  The  Submissive  Life 

gether  from  time  to  time,  that  you  may  become  in- 
bued  with  Our  Holy  Presence,  for  we  are  the  Power 
behind  the  Throne,  you,  the  Instruments. 

"All  is  well;  and  the  room  is  congregated  with 
Holy  Spirits,  whom  should  appear  as  an  army,  should 
your  eyes  be  opened,  and  all  greet  you  with  the  Sav- 
iour's Kiss.     May  it  rest  forever  upon  your  brows! 

"I  rejoice  that  I  am  chosen  as  transmitter  to-day. 

"Seeestok." 

!At  Archie's  House,  Berkeley,  February  10,  1911. 

Invocation  by  Archie. 

"Oh,  Master !  give  us  complete  submission  to  Thee, 
and  all  the  courage  that  is  necessary  to  speak  Thy 
Will  and  do  Thy  work.  Give  us  strength  and  wis- 
dom to  keep  our  path  clear  from  all  fault.  We  love 
Thee,  Lord,  with  all  our  hearts.     Amen." 

Message 

"It  is  well  that  you  have  crept  beneath  His  wing, 
where  you  shall  be  tendered  and  cared  for  with  in- 
finite protection.  Bear  in  mind  continually,  that  it 
is  perfect  submission  which  gives  us  power  upon 
the  earth,  and  what  we  may  say  to  you,  from  time  to 
time,  is  well,  but  not  of  the  greater  value ;  it  is  what 
we  do.  For  this  reason  we  do  not  always  lay  out 
the  definite  plan  for  you,  knowing  that  to  have  defi- 


The  Submissive  Life  77 

nite  things  within  your  mind  is  to  make  it  more 
difficult  for  a  complete  submission.  It  is  well,  there- 
fore, that  you  trust  our  greater  wisdom,  which  per- 
mits us  to  act  in  your  behalf. 

"We  are  anxious  now  to  complete  our  battery  in 
France,  which  could  not  be  established  until  a  com- 
munication upon  this  subject  was  existing  between 
you.  We  can  use  you  now  to  control  them  with,  and 
use  them  to  control  the  affairs  there.  We  will  soon 
have  them  performing  things,  which  they  will  not  at 
all  know  comes  from  us,  but  we  will  be  rapidly  pre- 
paring the  way.  So  are  we  using  you  always,  with 
which  to  get  control  over  the  affairs  of  willing  people, 
in  the  same  manner  that  an  operator  uses  a  battery 
with  which  to  convey  his  message. 

"Do  not  permit  your  minds  to  worry,  in  any  way, 
over  material  affairs,  for  the  next  two  weeks  is  a  sea- 
son, in  which  we  are  conducting  special  spiritual 
matters,  and  forming  spiritual  forces.  Keep  your 
minds  therefore  upon  the  spiritual,  and  know  that  the 
blesssings  are  with  you.    Amen." 

February  14,  1911,  at  Berkeley. 

After  joining  hands,  Archie  felt  as  if  the  Elder 
Brother  should  make  the  invocations,  which  was  done, 
by  asking  that  the  Jehovah  and  the  Redeemer  might 
inspire  the  heart  of  both  with  that  intense  love  for 
humanity,  and  for  all  things  in  existence,  as  filled 


78  The  Submissive  Life 

the  heart  of  the  Redeemer  Himself;  that  both  had 
come  to  meet  again,  to  charge  their  spirit  with  the 
spirit  of  Heaven,  and  to  come  closer  and  closer  to 
the  heart  of  Christ,  and  more  fully  under  his  control. 

Then  Archie,  addressing  the  Elder  Brother,  spoke 
thus: 

"I  see  the  head  and  shoulders  of  Christ  above  your 
head,  and  see  him  extending  His  hands  above  you. 
I  see  now  appearing  above  you  these  words,  'It  is 
yet  a  Secret  V  A  white  dove  takes  these  words,  places 
them  in  an  envelope  and  carries  it  away;  and  in  its 
place  appears  a  star! 

"Now  I  see  a  garden,  and  the  trees,  flowers  and 
shrubbery  are  all  covered  with  snow;  it  looks  as  if 
it  were  bitter  cold.  At  once  there  seems  to  spring 
forth  a  splendid  light,  and  there  is  beautiful  sun- 
shine everywhere ;  now  it  is  all  gone.  *  *  *  But 
here  it  is  again,  and  now  everything  is  in  bloom ;  the 
trees,  flowers  and  shrubbery  all  in  perfect  bloom. 

"I  see  now  the  Elder  Brother,  leaning  out  of  the 
window  of  a  stately  mansion,  built  in  this  garden. 
He  stretches  out  his  hand,  and  plucks  a  beautiful 
branch  loaded  with  flowers.  He  shakes  the  branch 
and  the  petals  of  the  flowers  fall  to  the  ground,  and 
cover  it  all  over.  The  Elder  Brother  now  withdraws 
within  the  mansion.  Many  people  arrive,  and  pro- 
ceed to  gather  the  white  petals  in  their  baskets ;  but 
Jhe  more  people  arrive  and  carry  away  basketsful  of 


The  Submissive  Life  79 

flowers  the  more  petals  seem  to  multiply,  indeed  the 
larger  the  heap  of  them  grows. 

"Now  I  hear  this:  'When  you  have  shaken  the 
blossoms,  my  servant  will  replenish  the  earth,  but  you 
shall  come  up  higher !  There  is  a  place  in  the  breast 
of  Christ  prepared  for  you.' 

"We  have  been  using  you  to-day,  causing  you  to 
speak,  knowing  that  the  material  which  ye  have  ut- 
tered is  necesary  in  the  mind  of  the  Younger  Brother, 
and  great  shall  be  the  things  that  will  come  from  it, 
and  you  have  accomplished  well  the  object  of  this 
day's  mission. 

"You  are  especially  open  to  the  emanations  that 
are  being  sent  to  you  from  above. 

"What  we  say,  is  not  always  an  indication  of  how 
much  is  being  done,  especially  at  such  times  when  we 
work  upon  the  spiritual  plane. 

"You  shall  know  a  love  that  will  be  life  undivided ; 
be  satisfied;  all  is  Peace,  and  we  rejoice,  for  there 
are  not  hindrances.    AMEN." 

Before  we  sat  together  and  joined  hands,  I  had 
been  speaking  with  the  Prophet,  about  the  very  great 
importance  of  human  thoughts,  that  they  create  cells 
in  the  human  brain,  and  that  these  cells  are  real  liv- 
ing entities,  claiming  recognition  whenever  they  are 
called  into  activity,  by  either  congenial  or  antagonis- 
tic thoughts,  or  thought  emanations.  Hence,  brain 
cells  of  a  low  order,  for  instance  those  formed  by  ava- 
ricious or  licentious  or  by  any  other  base  material  or 


80  The  Submissive  Life 

sensual  mental  activities,  will  be  awakened  to  full  en- 
joyment and  plenitude  of  life,  by  thoughts  in  sympa- 
thy with  their  own  degrading  propensities.  On  the 
other  hand,  thoughts  opposite  in  their  scope,  or  an- 
tagonistic to  the  very  nature  of  these  low  cells,  will 
also  awaken  them,  cause  them  to  vibrate,  but  now  in 
self-defense,  as  they  realize  that  their  very  existence 
is  at  stake. 

For  example:  a  disciple,  who  proceeds  earnestly 
upon  the  upward  path,  will  be  confronted  at  every 
step  with  temptations,  powerful  at  first,  but  lessen- 
ing by  degrees,  as  his  victory  over  these  temptations 
gradually  increase.  These  temptations,  are  the  result 
of  the  activities  of  the  lower  cells,  called  to  life  and 
fighting  for  their  very  existence.  They  are  fully 
aware  that  atrophy  or  death  awaits  them  if  they 
do  not  prevent  the  emanations  of  pure,  elevated  or 
spiritual  thoughts  to  overpower  their  very  nature  of 
low  or  degrading  propensities  or  urgings.  Every 
victory  over  these  urgings  or  repeated  suggestions  of 
lower  cells  curtails  their  power,  atrophies  them,  and, 
finally,  even  their  redemption  is  accomplished 
through  a  slow  process  of  evolution.  Then  they  be- 
come co-workers  with  the  higher  and  nobler  cells 
in  the  upbuilding  of  the  spirit,  for  nothing  in  the 
universe,  however  low,  is  lost  forever. 

So,  then,  when  temptation  assails  the  neophyte, 
no  matter  how  strong  its  urgings  may  be,  or  how 
often  repeated,  let  him  realize,  at  once  and  fully, 


The  Submissive  Life  811 

that  these  temptations  are  not  a  sign  of  the  low 
estate  of  his  spiritual  condition,  but,  on  the  contrary, 
that  they  are  a  token  of  the  seriousness  of  the  steps 
he  has  taken  on  the  upward  path ;  and  having  recog- 
nized this  truth,  it  behooves  the  neophyte  to  simply 
say  to  these  low  urgings:  "No,  no,  my  dear  ones,  I 
know  exactly  what  you  are  and  what  you  want,  but 
I  will  not  gratify  your  desires ;  you  may  just  return 
to  the  dark  abode  you  left,  for  you  can  no  longer 
influence  me." 

By  thus  taking  a  decided  stand  against  all  temp- 
tation the  lower  cells  gradually  cease  the  battle  as 
hopeless,  and  the  dear  neophyte's  soul  may  now  soar 
higher  and  higher  into  the  realm  of  the  spiritual. 

It  is  to  these  talks  with  the  Younger  Brother,  be- 
fore we  joined  hands,  that  the  message  makes  refer- 
ence. 

March  7th  and  14th,  1911,  at  Archie's  Home. 

Archie's  Invocation. 

Our  dear  friend  and  father  Jehovah,  we  cast  our- 
selves before  thee  in  the  utmost  humility,  desiring 
that  our  steps  be  led  in  a  pleasing  way,  and  that  we 
be  moulded  in  the  likeliness  and  the  image  of  Thy 
ever  present  and  all  powerful  Love.  We  desire  that 
there  be  nothing  left  of  us  except  that  which  takes 
on  Thine  own  image.    Help  us  to  free  our  minds  of 


$2  The  Submissive  Life 

convictions   that   we   may   be   led   to   Thee   alone. 
AMEK 


Message. 

"We  always  rejoice  when  we  may  give  you  a  little 
word  from  our  sphere  of  existence,  and  we  ask  you 
to  always  supplicate  our  help  in  the  understanding 
of  these  messages,  though  they  may  seem  simple,  for 
of  all  the  Prophets  that  have  fallen  in  the  past,  it 
hath  been  those  that  have  misinterpreted  their  com- 
munications. 

"Your  friends  in  France  are  beginning  now  to 
experience  their  doubts,  which  was  foreseen  they 
would;  but  before  the  kernel  of  the  wheat  can  be 
separated  it  must  be  shaken  with  the  straw.  There- 
fore, for  a  time,  do  not  pursue  them  with  this,  ex- 
cept as  they  question,  and  we  will  inform  you  when 
to  begin  again. 

"Let  us  speak  first  of  the  book  you  shall  write — 
The  Submissive  Life — since  it  is  to  be  one  of  the 
most  important  keynotes  to  the  whole  situation.  You 
need  have  no  fear,  but  what  you  have  evolved  to  the 
place  where  we  may  record  through  you,  just  such 
things  as  we  ask  to  send  forth.  The  conceptions 
which  you  have  are  proper  ones,  and  we  know  that 
you  shall  record  and  elaborate  upon  all  the  principles 
which  we  have  given  to  you  both;  added  to  this  we 
will  give  you  many  prophecies  of  what  the  future 


The  Submissive  Life  83 

is  to  be,  and  how  it  shall  come  about,  and  for  what 
reason  Jehovah  will  act;  but  these  we  will  not  give 
except  as  you  write  them.  You  will  also  receive 
sufficient  energy,  strength  and  help,  with  which  to 
do  your  work  conveniently,  and  with  a  degree  of 
pleasure  such  as  you  have  known  in  youth.  There- 
fore, do  your  best,  and  without  worry,  knowing  the 
reward  of  your  efforts  is  the  merit  of  Jehovah's 
Providence.  We  will  prevail  over  all  things,  even 
over  the  Earth.  Go  forth  cheerfully,  therefore,  and 
rest  in  the  arms  of  Faith,  which  will  not  forsake 
you. 

"We  are  all  at  the  point  of  great  moves,  marvellous 
changes  and  important  undertakings;  therefore  walk 
with  caution,  and  we  shall  be  the  steps  to  your  feet, 
for  Jehovah  has  promised.     AMEN!" 


CHAPTER  yill 


MOKE  REVELATIONS 


March  21st,  1911,  at  Archie's  House. 

Fekvent  invocation  by  Archie,  and  by  the  Elder 
Brother,  after  which  was  given  the  following  mes- 
sage : 

"Our  dear  Brother,  Jehovah,  is  a  kind  father  who 
assumes  your  responsibilities,  as  well  as  the  care 
of  your  own  person.  Therefore,  we  can  say  to  one 
who  is  willing  to  serve  Him,  'Be  of  good  cheer/  and 
we  rejoice  exceedingly,  because  we  know  that  your 
Faith  has  not  faltered,  and  that  it  shall  remain 
steadfast. 

"These  are  spirits  of  lower  circles  yet  who  are 
exceedingly  wise,  and  who  surpass  in  their  wisdom 
any  man  who  lives  in  the  flesh,  whose  work  it  is 
to  take  part  in  the  material  affairs  of  God's  ser- 
vants, and  through  them  the  higher  Angels'  work 
with  the  more  gross  materials  of  the  earth,  and  they 
will  help  you.  The  greatest  strength  and  effort  upon 
this  side  of  life  will  be  exercised  in  aiding  you  to 
this  end,  and  we  will  go  as  far  as  we  can  without 

84 


The  Submissive  Life  85 

robbing  those  concerned  of  their  free  agency,  which 
God  forbids. 

"However,  we  do  not  worry  unnecessarily,  for  if 
God  be  with  you,  who  can  be  against  you,  and  we  are 
ever  at  your  side  to  make  your  burdens  lighter,  and 
guide  your  feet  from  the  pebbles. 

"We  rejoice  in  all  that  is  occurring,  knowing  that 
it  will  lead  to  your  freedom. 

"With  these  things  you  may  rest  assured,  know- 
ing that  all  power  to  execute  is  not  with  you,  but 
with  us,  and  do  not  feel  discouraged  at  such  times, 
as  your  end  may  not  seem  so  large  as  you  have  ex- 
pected, for  it  will  be  even  larger  at  the  right  time. 
AMEN." 

"Selestor." 

Worn  out,  and  very  nervous  through  enforced 
business  arrangements  overtaxing  my  strength,  we 
decided,  my  wife  and  myself,  to  go  to  Long  Beach 
for  a  rest.  The  sunshiny  climate  there  had  always 
given  strength,  calm  and  peace  to  overstrung  nerves. 

Before  starting  on  the  journey  I  went,  of  course, 
to  say  good-by  to  Archie,  with  the  fond  hope  of  re- 
ceiving a  few  words  from  the  Holy  Ones.  After 
some  desultory  conversation  about  spiritual  and 
earthly  matters  and  the  Prophet  also  discoursing  at 
some  length  on  the  ever-adverse  material  circum- 
stances that  continued  to  harass  him  and  his  dear 
mother,  we  joined  hands. 


86  The  Submissive  Life 

March  28th,  1911. 

Invocation  by  Archie. 

"Our  dear  Father,  now  that  for  a  time  we  are 
to  suffer  the  absence  of  each  other,  wilt  Thou,  in  Thy 
gracious  spirit,  give  us  additional  courage  and  re- 
newed comfort  from  Thy  holy  angel  servants,  cause 
that  we  be  led  continuously  in  the  path  of  righteous- 
ness and  patient  endurance,  and  let  us  walk  in  wis- 
dom and  do  the  work  ordained  for  our  hands  to  do. 
Wilt  Thou,  O  beloved  Father,  bring  us  closer  to 
Thee,  nearer  to  each  other,  and  better  adapted  to 
supply  the  needs  of  humanity.  Let  us  be  absorbed 
in  Thy  spirit,  so  that  it  may  be  revealed  to  us  the 
steps  and  inspiration  which  is  Thy  Holy  "Will  to 
transmit.  Bind  us,  O  God,  by  the  link  of  Infinity, 
that  we  may  work  toward  the  Eternal  in  all  our  un- 
dertakings. We  are  weak,  but  Thou  art  able ;  guide 
us  by  Thy  powerful  hand,  in  the  name  of  Christ 
and  the  Holy  Ones.    Amen !" 

Message 

"We  have  only  a  brief  message  for  our  children 
this  morning,  and  let  it  be  one  of  comfort,  cheer, 
and  to  strengthen  you  as  only  our  presence  can  com- 
fort they  who  are  walking  in  pain  through  the 
shadows  of  death. 

"In  this  hour  of  Holy  Tribulation  we  can  make 


The  Submissive  Life  87 

you  no  promises,  but  have  already  begun  to  lead  you 
until  the  fulfillment  of  the  promises  previously 
made,  which,  in  the  evening  of  your  lives,  shall  be 
found  sufficient  unto  human  needs. 

"We  also  shall  be  judged  as  thou  art  judged  by 
the  human  misery  of  mankind.  Therefore,  we  as 
you,  suffer  in  tribulation,  will  find  no  peace,  no  place 
to  rest,  until  our  promises  and  undertakings  are 
complete. 

"The  tribulations  through  which  you  are  now 
passing  is  but  a  symbol  of  the  tribulation  in  Heaven, 
as  the  Souls  who  have  departed  from  the  flesh  cry 
to  behold  the  results  of  their  sins  upon  the  earth. 
Therefore,  remember  the  Prophets  and  the  Angels 
use  the  same  troubles  as  their  pillow. 

"All  is  exceedingly  well  to  the  open  eye,  for  the 
end  of  this  epoch  in  your  lives  is  so  near  at  hand,  the 
first  steps  into  the  great  new  one  so  soon  to  be  taken. 

"God  chastises  by  the  rod,  and  out  of  stones  makes 
children,  and  out  of  strife  peace;  and  uses  your  sad 
experiences  as  the  weapons  of  war;  therefore,  out 
of  your  many  weapons  shall  ye  fight  bravely  and 
victoriously  to  the  end. 

"Ye  both  are  held  in  the  vice  of  Infinity,  from 
which  you  cannot  escape. 

"Now  to  the  Elder  Brother: 

"We  are  pleased  that  your  son  has  given  himself 
to  Christian  Science,  because  it  is  the  stepping  stone 
to  a  greater  height.     Concerning  your  nervous  con- 


88  The  Submissive  Life 

dition,  we  will  state  that  we  have  admission  to  your 
body  and  soul,  and  can,  therefore,  do  all  within  the 
limits  of  the  Law  to  aid  you  without  the  help  of 
other  mediators ;  but  as  God  has  permitted  His  son  to 
suffer,  that  He  may  exercise  greater  power  and  glory 
in  the  end,  so  may  it  always  be  with  you.  'All  is  for 
a  purpose/ 

"We  bid  you  take  your  trip  rejoicing,  and  when 
you  have  departed  from  the  depressing  influences, 
from  strife  and  the  strain  that  now  surrounds  you, 
you  will  experience  a  renewed  spirit.  You  need  not 
worry  about  what  you  should  do,  nor  about  the  turn 
which  things  have  taken,  for  we  shall  guide  the  way. 
Simply  trust  and  obey. 

"The  younger  Brother  shall  do  some  effective  work 
in  your  absence,  and  when  you  have  both  reached 
a  point  we  have  in  mind,  then  in  the  stormy  fury 
of  a  climax  you  will  finish  your  work  together.  The 
flower  blooms  easily  when  once  the  plant  is  rooted. 

"The  Holy  Ones  shall  ever  fill  your  chamber,  be 
your  stars  and  your  light,  and  the  sun  of  your 
career,  which  they  rejoice  to  hold  in  the  palm  of 
their  hands. 

"With  Jehovah's  mighty  Blessings.    AMEK" 

During  my  sojourn  at  Long  Beach  I  kept  up,  with 
letters  at  great  intervals,  a  correspondence  with 
'Archie.  His  mother  was  ill  most  of  the  time,  and  the 
dear  boy  had  been  kept  on  the  grindstone  attending 


The  Submissive  Life  89 

most  devotedly  to  his  mother's  needs,  and  at  in- 
tervals trying  to  keep  the  'pot  boiling'  by  doing  some 
painting,  etc. 

Under  date  of  August  6th,  1911,  he  wrote  the  fol- 
lowing very  interesting  letter: 

"My  dear,  dear  Friend — 

"Your  letter  came  to  me  some  time  ago,  and  I 
feel  that  you  have  about  despaired  to  ever  receive  an 
answer. 

"I  have,  several  times  lately,  wondered  whether 
you  have  felt  the  strange  things  that  I  went  through 
since  I  heard  from  you  last. 

"About  two  weeks  ago  I  passed  into  a  strange 
spiritual  condition,  which  was  like  a  semi-trance. 
Just  here,  I  feel  strongly  impressed  that  I  should 
relate  fully,  and  make  plain,  the  preliminary,  or 
rather  the  preparatory,  phases  that  preceded  my  being 
ushered  into  the  Superior  World.  It  is  the  command 
of  Jehovah  that  I  should  do  so,  such  description  being 
necessary  in  order  that  Instruments,  in  different 
parts  of  the  world,  may  not  become  confused  or 
frightened,  when  the  spirit  shall  begin  in  a  like 
manner  to  work  upon  them. 

"The  first  strange  thing  I  noticed  was  a  condition 
of  nervousness  that  crept  over  me  for  several  days. 
I  could  not  attribute,  at  all,  this  nervousness  to  any 
kind  of  incipient  sickness,  as  I  was  then,  and  had 
been  for  some  time,  in  an  excellent  state  of  health. 


90  The  Submissive  Life 

"After  a  while  I  commenced  to  drop  things  occa- 
sionally, objects  like  plates  and  glasses  falling  from 
my  hands.  This  period  of,  so  to  say,  clumsiness, 
was  soon  followed  by  a  disturbed  state  of  mind.  My 
thoughts  became  confused  and  incoherent.  People 
would  speak  to  me.  I  heard  their  voices  vaguely,  but 
often  did  not  answer. 

"This  state  of  abstraction  was  followed  by  several 
days  of  dizziness,  a  real  clouding  of  my  mind.  I 
walked  and  performed  my  duties  toward  my  sick 
mother  like  an  automaton,  almost  oblivious  of  my 
surroundings. 

"Then  came  a  spell  of  sleepiness.  I  could  hardly 
arouse  myself  for  days,  to  perform  my  daily  tasks. 
At  last,  I  lost  the  battle;  overcome,  I  went  to  my 
couch,  lay  down,  soon  as  it  were,  to  enter  a  pro- 
found sleep. 

"Suddenly,  however,  some  external  forces  seemed 
to  take  hold  of  my  inner  consciousness,  acting  like  an 
ansesthetic,  and  all  exterior  objects  became  obliter- 
ated. 

"After  a  short  moment  of  darkness  my  interior 
vision  opened,  and  there  appeared  a  Great  White 
Light.  It  had  the  circular  form  of  a  wheel,  and  re- 
volved rapidly;  and  as  this  rotation  proceeded,  the 
circle  became  gradually  smaller. 

"I  remember  plainly,"  the  letter  continues,  "that 
during  the  process  of  revolution  of  this  circle  of  fire, 
and  while  it  was  ever  diminishing  in  size,  I  fought 


The  Submissive  Life  91 

bravely  to  rid  myself  of  this  paralyzing  influence, 
for  a  flash  of  possible  insanity  dashed  through  my 
fast  disappearing  mind.  The  fight,  however,  seemed 
useless,  for  finally  this  revolving  disk  of  light  be- 
came as  a  mere  speck,  and  then  suddenly  it  went 
out.  And  with  its  disappearance  my  consciousness 
also  vanished  completely,  and  I  was  left  as  in  a  deep 
swoon. 

"When  my  consciousness  returned,  I  found  my- 
self surrounded  by  strange,  or  rather  foreign,  con- 
ditions. My  memory  of  all  previous  existence 
seemed  to  have  been  obliterated,  as  much  so  as  our 
daily  life  is  forgotten  when  fast  asleep  and  dream- 
ing. 

"I  found  myself  in  the  presence  of  guides  clothed 
in  splendor,  whom  I  seemed  to  have  always  known. 
With  these  guides  my  travels  in  this  new  world  began. 
They  vouchsafed  no  information  whatever,  and  all 
the  knowledge  I  gained  was  from  observing,  seeing 
and  hearing  for  myself,  and,  strangely  enough,  I  felt 
no  inclination  to  ask  questions,  as  the  field  for  ob- 
servation, now  laying  open  before  me,  was  so  in- 
tensely interesting,  and  my  anxiety  for  obtaining 
knowledge  of  the  doing  in  that  wonderful  world  was 
so  keen,  that  it  left  no  room  for  questions. 

"I  would  give  a  world,  my  dear  friend,  if  only  I 
could  relate  to  you  what  I  have  seen  and  learned  in 
this  marvellous  state,  though,  since  my  natural  self 
has  been  asserting  itself  again,  much  of  the  great 


92  The  Submissive  Life 

wonders  I  have  witnessed  are  passing  from  me;  my 
little  intellect  seems  unable  to  retain  them.  Surely 
it  is  a  preparation  for  great  things  to  come,  and  if 
only  I  could  often  behold  the  wonders  and  war  kings 
of  God,  as  I  have  been  beholding  in  the  last  two 
weeks,  there  would  be  no  hardships  under  heaven  that 
could  discourage  me,  even  for  a  moment. 

"I  surely  have  beheld  a  panorama  of  the  future, 
and  have  seen  how  it  is  that  the  Angels  are  able  to 
predict  the  coming  of  future  events. 

"I  have  been  walking  over  great  mountains  with 
you,  some  of  them  so  high  that  when  we  had  mounted 
them  we  could  look  over  the  whole  vast  subject  of 
human  life.  We  could  see  its  purpose  and  its  out- 
come. The  strangest  thing  of  all  was  that  we  laughed 
most  heartily,  and  were  happiest  over  our  earthly 
tribulations.  Oh!  the  joy  it  was  to  pass  through 
them  while  the  Lord  of  Hosts  kept  ever  ahead,  just 
far  enough  so  that  we  could  not  touch  him,  but  were 
led  by  His  beckoning  steps,  and  cheered  by  His  smiles. 
When  we  were  tired,  and  would  falter,  He  would 
smile,  and  we  were  rested  and  healed  on  the  in- 
stant. 

"Then  we  plunged  on,  and  on,  and  on,  crying  in 
loud  voices  with  such  great  joy  that  our  breasts  could 
not  contain  it. 

"So  it  went  on.  We  were  led  through  valleys  of 
3eath  and  through  Hell!  O!  what  people  I  saw  in 
that  dark  dismal  region ;  kings,  financiers,  high  eccle- 


The  Submissive  Life  93 

siastics,  supreme  judgs,  inen  illustrious  in  history; 
all  on  a  moral,  or  rather  profound  immoral  level,  and 
forced  to  mingle  with  criminals  and  with  disgusting 
women  fallen  to  the  lowest  bottom  of  degradation. 

"The  saddest  thing,  to  me,  was  to  see  there  men 
who  had  been  known  while  on  earth  as  possessed  of 
large  intellects ;  intellects,  it  is  true,  they  had  prosti- 
tuted in  compelling  them  to  serve  their  utter  egotis- 
tical, heartless,  and  too  often  beastly  pursuits.  This 
intellect,  which  they  had  still  preserved,  caused  them 
to  realize  in  agonizing  sobs  their  utter  wretchedness, 
the  very  depth  of  their  debasement,  for  they  could 
now  contemplate  with  intense  horror  the  widespread 
human  suffering  their  heartless  activities  on  earth 
had  created.  On  the  other  hand,  this  very  intellect 
aided  them  after  untold  years  of  suffering,  and  by 
slow  degrees,  to  the  conviction  that  their  only  chance 
of  escape  out  of  this  abode  of  despair  was  to  listen 
to  the  urging,  very  faint  indeed,  of  their  deeply 
buried  conscience,  whose  flickering  embers  were  still 
feebly  alive — for  the  soul  never  dies.  Through  the 
heeding  of  these  urgings  a  dim  Light  would  appear 
on  the  far  distant  horizon,  slowly,  gradually  bright- 
ening— the  loving  eye  of  the  Guardian  Angel ! 

"But  enough  of  this,  dear  friend.  The  remem- 
brance of  these  sad  scenes  causes  me  to  shudder.  I 
may,  however,  say  more  about  this  when  I  see  you 
again. 

"So  we  went  on  crossing  rivers  and  valleys,  led 


94  The  Submissive  Life 

by  the  Christ,  until  we  reached  the  end,  and  a  voice 
spake,  saying:  This  is  the  sphere  of  your  present 
abode,  the  sphere  your  spirit  has  reached  through 
your  own  good  lives  on  earth;  and  this  we  may  not 
lead  you  in  for  the  present.  Now  your  journey  is  at 
an  end,  you  have  finished;  come  unto  Me.' 

"My  wonderful  travels  in  that  new  life  had  closed 
and  I  came  out  of  my  two  weeks'  trance.  I  can  no 
more  write  about  it;  I  must  tell  it,  and  even  then  I 
will  not  be  able  to  do  it  justice.  Your  friend  for- 
ever, Archie." 


CHAPTEK  IX 

JUDGING  THE  PROPHETS  REVELATIONS 

Long  Beach,  California,  September  1st,  1911. 

Having  now  sojourned  several  months  in  this  love- 
ly climate  among  the  most  peaceful  people  on  earth, 
under  the  soothing  influence  of  the  waters  of  the  great 
Pacific  Ocean,  I  felt  in  very  good  health;  nerves 
stilled,  brain  clear  and  enjoying  a  bodily  and  mental 
energy  I  had  not  experienced  for  many  years. 

Long  Beach  is  the  city  of  choice  for  the  holding 
of  many  religious  congresses. 

My  attention  was  attracted  one  day  to  the  an- 
nouncement of  a  "World's  Spiritual  Congress," 
where  Christians,  Theosophists,  Indian  Swami,  Jew- 
ish Rabbi,  various  sects  of  Spiritualism,  several 
prominent  Socialists,  New  Thought  advocates,  and 
also  learned  apostles  of  the  Persian  prophet,  Baha' 
O'Llah,  were  to  speak  upon  the  merits  of  their  own 
special  "credos"  and  beliefs. 

A  number  of  lectures  delivered  in  this  congress  I 
attended,  and  in  some  of  them  discovered  much 
merit,  real  progressive  thought;  many  utterances 
were  indeed  in  harmony,  as  much  as  I  could  remem- 

95 


96  The  Submissive  Life 

ber,  with  Revelations  given  through  the  young  Proph- 
et, Archie  J.  Inger. 

This  "World's  Spiritual  Congress"  awoke  in  me  a 
desire  to  read  over  again  the  Revelations  given  by 
Archie,  and,  being  now  in  excellent,  normal  health 
and  strength,  I  concluded  to  commence  the  task  at 
once. 

Leaving  aside  any  consideration  of  a  personal  con- 
nection, these  Revelations  seemed  to  endeavor  to 
establish  between  myself  and  the  Mission  of  the  Pro- 
phet ;  the  sole  aim  I  now  set  before  me  was  to  analyze 
these  Revelations  under  their  various  aspects — social, 
religious,  philosophical — and  so  far  as  possible  to 
ascertain  their  import  to  man's  material  and  spiritual 
welfare.  This  analysis,  I  concluded  to  make  in  a 
careful  manner,  unbiased,  honestly,  and  in  a  common 
sense,  matter  of  fact  way.  I  hoped  to  establish,  to 
my  own  satisfaction,  at  least,  whether  the  Revelations 
given  in  my  presence  and  written  down  by  me  under 
direct  dictation,  would  in  any  way  justify,  attribut- 
ing this  dictation  to  the  Son  of  God,  sometimes  given 
directly  by  Him,  sometimes  by  His  angels  through 
Archie  J.  Inger  as  His  or  their  Spiritual  amanuen- 
sis. 

While  perusing  those  Revelations,  I  noted  down 
and  studied  carefully  the  principal  points  and  teach- 
ings they  wished  to  convey  to  the  people. 

The  predominant  idea  in  these  Revelations  seemed 
to  be  that  "men  have  separated  themselves  from  God 


The  Submissive  Life  97 

in  as  much  as  they  have  power  to  do,"  and  that  this 
process  of  separation  is  going  on  at  a  dizzy  ratio  in 
our  present  everyday  life.  The  cause  of  this  drifting 
away  from  God  is  set  forth  as  being  man's  self-will, 
his  utter  selfishness  of  life;  the  concentration  of  all 
his  efforts  to  the  gratification  of  his  animal  life. 
This  gratification,  the  Eevelations  assert,  has  grown 
to  extreme  proportions.  All  the  realms  of  nature — 
mineral,  vegetable,  animal  and  human — are  con- 
stantly being  ransacked,  or  over-cultivated  and  en- 
slaved everywhere  for  the  upbuilding  of  dazzling 
luxuries  to  serve  the  lower  self  of  man.  Industry, 
commerce,  the  sciences  and  arts,  those  noble  ser- 
vants of  humanity,  are  all  made  subservient  to  the 
sumptuous  extravagances;  yea,  offered  in  holocaust 
to  the  personal  indulgences  of  the  selfish  man.  His 
greed  has  no  limit,  as  fortunes  are  needed  to  satisfy 
his  monstrous,  sensual  abnormalities. 

The  Revelations  admonish,  "Thou  shalt  not  take 
away  the  inheritance  of  man."  These  egotistic, 
greedy  men,  however,  take  away  the  inheritance  of 
man,  of  their  brother  man,  to  cater  evermore  to  their 
own  luxurious  lives.  Hence,  the  suffering  of  the 
disinherited,  and  they  are  legions  all  the  world  over, 
and  this  suffering  is  often  intense  and  as  hopeless  as 
it  is  unjust  and  undeserved. 

These  disinherited,  hopeless  sufferers  are  children 
of  God.  God  loves  them  with  all  His  other  children 
alike.     He  suffers  from  their  sufferings  as  a  good 


98  The  Submissive  Life 

father  suffers,  seeing  some  of  his  children  unhappy, 
poor,  through  being  despoiled  of  their  rightful  in- 
heritance, perhaps  by  some  older,  and  stronger,  and 
more  unprincipled  of  his  own  children. 

This  social  condition  of  suffering  through  un- 
merited poverty,  through  being  robbed  of  their  na- 
tural right,  has  arrived  at  the  point  where  God  and 
Christ  see  no  hope  in  the  future  for  its  amelioration, 
or  the  restoration  to  His  disinherited  children  of 
their  rightful  domain.  Man  will  not  do  it.  Hence 
the  great  suffering  which  grieves  God's  and  Christ's 
heart. 

The  Christ,  "the  highest  evolved  soul  of  this  crea- 
tion," is  nearest  to  Jehovah,  or  God,  and  stands  at 
the  right  hand  of  the  Almighty  Throne!  In  His 
great  heart,  all  human  sufferings,  coming  from  earth, 
are  primarily  felt,  and  there  do  they  concentrate 
first.  He  is  the  Great  Sufferer,  and  His  agony  has 
become  intolerable.  Hence,  realizing  in  its  very  ful- 
ness the  vast  amount  of  misery  the  people,  His 
brethren,  are  subjected  to,  the  hopelessness  of  their 
efforts  to  extricate  themselves  from  poverty,  the 
powerlessness  and  inefficiency  of  the  means  offered  to 
remedy  their  condition,  namely:  charitable  societies, 
endless  church  organizations,  voluble  social  harangues 
as  to  their  civic  privileges  and  political  rights,  count- 
less unobserved  and  effete  laws,  etc.,  etc.  The  Christ, 
under  the  command  of  Jehovah,  has  determined  to 
put  an  end  to  this  utterly  unjust,  deplorable  and 


The  Submissive  Life  99 

most  heartrending  social,  or  rather  unsocial,  con- 
ditions, under  which  the  great  majority  of  the  chil- 
dren of  earth  are  actually  laboring.  For  the  Reve- 
lations affirm  that  God  desires  His  Earth  to  be  a 
happy  Earth  and  a  prosperous  Earth. 

To  arrive  successfully  at  inaugurating  a  new 
order  of  things,  where  justice  will  reign  supreme, 
and  brotherly  feeling  fill  every  man's  breast;  where 
moral  law,  the  Eternal  Law  of  God,  will  be  steadily 
practiced,  a  new  Empire,  as  the  Revelations  call  it, 
will  be  established  upon  the  earth.  In  that  Empire, 
man  will  have  no  self-will,  no  other  aim  than  to  obey 
the  will  of  God  in  all  the  activities  of  his  daily  life ; 
a  life  so  pure,  so  full  of  love  for  all  things  in  exist- 
ence, that  the  wishes  of  the  Eternal  Father  will 
appear  so  plain,  so  apprehensible  to  him  that  mis- 
understanding Him  would  seem  well  nigh  impos- 
sible. 

This  obedience,  however,  to  the  Infinite  shall  be 
spontaneously,  voluntarily;  yea,  cheerfully,  granted, 
for  the  Revelations  plainly  states  that  the  free  agency 
of  man  will  never  be  interfered  with. 

"To  us  no  man  is  in  bondage.  We  destroy  no 
man's  individuality,  use  no  man  as  a  tool;  but  help 
each  man  to  be  a  perfect  tool  and  a  perfect  Master. 
We  put  the  Light  before  him  and  let  him  take  it  in, 
and  then  he  acts  as  it  is  within  himself." 

This  is  certainly  a  magnificent  principle.  The 
Holy  Ones  simply  urge  man,  impress  what  is  right 


100  The  Submissive  Life 

for  him  to  do  upon  his  inner  consciousness,  but  leaves 
him  free  to  choose  and  act  as  he  himself  may  de- 
cide. 

How  and  in  what  manner  is  this  "New  Empire, 
where  men  shall  live  in  accordance  with  God's  law, 
to  be  brought  to  pass  ? 

Before  this  New  Empire  can  be  established,  it 
would  appear  from  the  Spirit  running  through  the 
various  Revelations  received  by  the  young  Prophet, 
that  all  the  "nations  of  the  Earth  stand  at  the  gate 
of  judgment  and  that  they  are  found  wanting." 
Great  calamities,  they  state,  hang  over  the  civilized 
world,  and  all  things  will  be  overturned. 

In  a  special  Revelation,  given  the  15th  day  of 
September,  it  is  stated : 

"It  behooves  Jehovah's  Angels,  who  are  given 
power  over  the  Earth,  to  destroy  it  and  to  rebuild  it 
according  to  the  Law,  to  judge  clearly  the  moment 
when  no  power  on  Earth  shall  be  of  sufficient  force 
to  intercept  their  plans. 

"Know  ye,  therefore,  that  Jehovah  speaks  to  His 
Angels  of  wars,  of  rumor  of  wars,  which  are  to  take 
place  upon  the  Earth.  He  speaks  of  a  time  when 
all  things  shall  be  changed,  and  man  shall  walk  in 
the  full  glory  of  his  Creator.  And  He  speaks  also 
of  the  end  of  all  things.  'But  when  shall  these  things 
be  V  cry  the  angels ;  and  men  say :  'When  shall  these 
things  heV  Behold!  Jehovah  speaks  of  the  signs 
by  which  you  shall  know  their  approach,  but  farther 


The  Submissive  Life  101 

than  these  signs  He  does  not  speak  nor  confide  to  His 
children,  but  leaves  them  to  trust  and  obey.  Behold ! 
This  is  the  sign  unto  you  of  destruction. 

"The  world  shall  become  prosperous  in  material 
things,  and  selfishness  shall  be  gratified  and  un- 
molested, and  the  poor  and  the  rich  shall  together 
thank  God  for  their  prosperity.  But  woe  unto  them, 
for  this  is  the  sign  of  the  end,  and  the  sign  begins 
now.  Therefore  know  ye  its  meaning,  and  that  its 
existence  is  short,  and  that  war  is  at  hand,  though, 
in  material  war  my  servants  shall  take  no  part.  And 
the  Angels  ask:  'Where  shall  Jehovah  work?'  and 
Jehovah  answers:  'Not  in  the  Church,  nor  is  He  in 
the  religious  homage  paid  by  man.' 

"It  is  He  who  brings  unrest,  and  turns  the  poor 
in  enmity  to  the  rich,  and  it  is  His  spirits  urging 
them  to  rebel.  And  the  rich  will  grant  the  world 
prosperity,  and  give  unto  the  world  plenty,  that  they 
may  quell  this  unrest ;  therefore  shall  ye  know  pros- 
perity. But  because  Jehovah's  spirits  prompt  this 
unrest,  it  shall  grow  in  magnitude,  and  war  shall 
not  be  between  nation  and  nation,  but  shall  be  be- 
tween the  classes  of  every  nation,  and  the  rich  shall 
flee  to  a  nation  by  themselves,  and  the  poor  by  them- 
selves, and  then  shall  the  end  come.  And  Jehovah 
shall  stop  war  by  rendering  it  ghastly,  and  by  giving 
unto  the  power  of  men  invention  such  as  will  make 
the  implements  of  war  sufficient  to  exterminate  man- 


102  The  Submissive  Life 

kind.  And  thus  will  they  cease  their  strife  and  join 
hands. 

"While  the  world  thus  goes  on  the  spirits  will  re- 
veal themselves  unto  the  servants,  and  communica- 
tion will  become  as  common  with  man  as  is  the  re- 
ceiving of  messages  by  telephone,  and  then  will 
Jehovah  reign,  and  elect  from  men  a  King,  and  this 
King  shall  be  him  whom  Christ  shall  choose.  Still 
the  Angels  ask  of  Jehovah,  but  when  He  does  not 
answer  they  are  satisfied. 

"Now  we  say  unto  you,  our  children,  that  as 
Jehovah  is  promising  to  bless  you,  he  is  promising 
to  bless  all  of  the  unfortunate,  though  they  do  not 
hear  his  promise.  Thus  will  it  be  your  mission  to 
make  it  known." 

On  August  28th,  1910,  previous  to  our  joining 
hands  to  receive  the  customary  Revelations,  we 
talked,  Archie  and  I,  over  the  seriousness  and  the 
strangeness  of  these  communications.  We  wondered 
whether  all  this  could  be  true.  After  canvassing  the 
field  pretty  thoroughly,  and  forced,  through  our  logic, 
to  accept  them  as  coming  from  a  highly  enlightened, 
yea,  Divine  source,  we  concluded  by  admitting  that 
"Our  questioning  in  this  regard  is  almost  a  sin."  In 
answer  to  this  the  following  was  given:  "Regard- 
ing the  sin  you  speak  of  as  to  the  questioning  of  the 
truth  and  origin  of  these  Revelations,  know  ye  this, 
our  children:  In  the  whole  Universe  of  Thought 
there  is  nothing  too  sacred  to  be  questioned,  and  that 


The  Submissive  Life  103 

which  cannot  withstand  the  strongest  lens  of  criticism 
is  not  true.  All  we  will  ask  is  that  you  keep  your 
scales  of  judgment  unbiased." 

So  now,  dear  reader,  we  fell  at  ease  in  submitting 
to  the  strong  lens  of  reason  the  appreciation,  and  im- 
portance, of  the  last  Eevelations  concerning  the  neces- 
sity of  the  overturning  of  all  old  things,  and  the 
establishment  of  a  New  Empire,  where  social  con- 
ditions would  be  more  just  and  righteous  through 
brotherly  love. 

It  seems  useless  to  rehearse  the  social  state  of 
affairs  actually  existing  among  us,  depriving  man  of 
his  rightful  inheritance  of  the  things  of  earth;  it  is 
too  well  known.  Is  there  any  hope  that  the  slow 
progress  obtaining  to-day,  to  ameliorate  these  con- 
ditions in  a  peaceful  way,  may  arrive  at  a  satisfac- 
tory result ;  not  within  our  lifetime,  we  ask,  but  with- 
in one  or  two  generations  to  come?  Events  do  not 
point  to  the  affirmative. 

Furthermore,  taking  into  consideration  the  general 
unrest  of  the  people  in  all  civilized  nations,  im- 
patiently chafing  under  the  ever-increasing  difficul- 
ties of  existence,  their  slow  but  constantly  growing 
aggressiveness,  do  these  predictions  of  a  general 
overturning  of  things  through  these  Eevelations  seem 
not  only  probable,  but  inevitable  ? 

Thought,  however,  is  not  content  to  rest  there. 
It  goes  on  and  on,  and  asks  whether  it  was  neces- 
sary that  some  supernatural  power  should  come  down 


104-  The  Submissive  Life 

from  Heaven  to  inform  man  of  the  sad  condition 
prevailing  on  earth,  a  condition  he  sees  daily  nar- 
rated in  public  print,  and  gloriously,  as  they  think, 
expatiated  upon  by  the  unceasing  harangues  of  social 
reformers?  Do  we  not  realize,  emphatically,  that 
the  menace  of  war  in  the  near  future  is  ever  float- 
ing in  the  air  over  our  heads,  and  that  a  terrible 
bloody  strife  between  capital  and  labor  may  break 
out  at  any  moment  in  all  countries  ? 

Surely  we  know  all  of  this  without  any  Kevela- 
tions  from  the  Angel  world,  and  the  seers  of  all 
countries,  since  many  years,  have  been  predicting 
this  overturning  of  all  things.  To  what  end,  then, 
have  these  predictions  been  given  through  the  young 
Prophet  ? 

The  main  spirit  runnirig  through  all  these  Eevela- 
tions,  after  having  given  fair  warning  to  men,  and 
revealed  the  downfall  of  all  nations  through  war 
and  internecine  revolution,  betoken  a  most  holy  en- 
deavor to  establish  such  connections  on  earth,  that 
may  enable  the  powers  of  Heaven  to  direct  and  to 
obtain  control  of  the  leading  events  that  will  mark 
these  stirring  periods.  This,  the  Angels  aim  to  ac- 
complish through  the  influence  which  they  may  exert 
upon  those  men  whom  they  have  been  able  to  reach 
through  the  ministrations  of  the  Prophet.  These 
men,  having  shown  a  willingness  to  submit  their 
wills  to  the  will  of  God;  in  other  words,  living  the 
"Submissive  Life,"  are  to  be  organized  into  living 


The  Submissive  Life  105 

bands  of  servants  of  Jehovah,  or,  as  it  has  been 
elucidated  before  in  this  book,  formed  into  numerous 
batteries  of  human  elements  or  cells.  Through  these 
batteries  the  Christ,  with  the  aid  of  His  Angels,  will 
forward  His  commands  to  His  servants,  thence  to  the 
mortals  in  power,  influencing  these  to  bring  peace 
and  justice  out  of  strife  and  egotism. 

Ancient  and  modern  history  relates  a  number  of 
great  and  bloody  revolutions  of  the  people  against 
their  oppressors,  revolutions  often  unwisely  directed 
through  passionate  leaders,  and  the  outcome  of  so 
many  noble  sacrifices  has  often  resulted  in  social 
conditions  as  bad  or  worse  than  those  existing  before 
the  strife.  To  avoid  a  repetition  of  so  many  sacri- 
fices becoming  of  no  avail,  Heaven  has  decided  to 
influence  and  control  the  result  of  coming  wars  and 
revolutions  as  much  as  divine  Law  permits. 

To  this  supreme  end,  Jehovah's  Eevelations  have 
been  given  and  will  be  given  yet — it  is  promised — to 
the  young  Prophet,  to  this  humble  child  of  poor 
parents,  but  a  child  pure  as  Heaven,  a  true  child  of 
God!  Did  the  people  not  ask  in  derision  of  Jesus 
of  Nazareth:  "Is  not  this  the  carpenter's  son?" 
Abraham,  the  founder  of  the  Jewish  nation,  was  he 
not  a  mere  shepherd?  And  David,  the  greatest  of 
the  Kings  of  Israel,  had  he  not  been  a  mere  shepherd 
boy?  And  of  Lincoln,  was  it  not  asked  in  disdain: 
"Is  not  this  the  rail-splitter  ?" 

According  to  the  many  messages  received,  guid- 


106  The  Submissive  Life 

ance  for  handling  these  social  upheavals,  and  direct- 
ing them  toward  Jehovah's  end,  will  be  vouchsafed 
unto  man  through  God's  Angels  and  Spirits. 

In  our  lifelong  experience  we  have  often  come  in 
contact  with  Spirits,  some  of  them  deserving  of  little 
respect.  The  spirit  of  Shakespeare,  one  day,  could 
not  spell  his  own  name,  nor  could  Lord  Bacon  write 
English.  What  of  the  spirits  the  Revelations  speak 
of  that  will  be  sent  to  direct  and  work  with  men? 
[What  of  their  reliability,  may  we  ask ! 

In  the  message  given  immediately  after  these  ques- 
tions were  formulated  by  Archie  and  myself,  the 
following  was  dictated: 

"We  answer  thy  questions  thus:  There  is  a  ter- 
rible abyss  between  spirits  who  speak  through  com- 
mon mediums  and  answer  all  lower  problems  of  life 
almost  without  discrimination,  although  speaking 
according  to  their  own  conscience,  and  between  those 
spirits  who  never  speak  except  as  they  repeat  Je- 
hovah's voice. 

"All  spirits  speaking  of  material  things  do  not  yet 
know  God.  They  are  as  ignorant  and  faltering  as 
man.  They  still  desire  admiration  and  acknowledg- 
ment, and  love  to  entertain,  representing  themselves 
to  be  higher  personalities  than  they  are,  often  assum- 
ing names  of  prominent  characters  who  have  lived 
and  whom  the  children  of  men  admire,  such  as  states- 
men, orators,  Kings  and  Magi  of  the  East,  while  in 
truth.they  are  none  of  these  dignitaries,  but  are  spirits 


The  Submissive  Life  107 

of  lower  ambition,  taking  up  mediums  01  gross  ideals 
who  attract  a  congregation  of  a  lower  order.  You, 
my  children,  are  not  in  communication  with  spirits, 
but  with  Angels  who  are  redeemed,  and  who  never 
speak  to  gratify  you,  and  who  only  say  those  things 
that,  some  time,  will  be  of  value  to  the  world.  And 
our  enlightenment  is  not  in  our  words,  nor  in  our 
power  in  what  your  minds  perceive,  but  it  is  in  the 
way  by  which  we  guide  your  acts  that  your  lives  may 
drift  into  the  channels  of  the  Great  Jehovah's  al- 
mighty plan.  We  refine  your  bodies,  we  intensify 
your  intellect,  and  we  broaden  your  sight  that  you 
are  like  vessels  which  hold  and  enjoy  all  that  there 
is  above  and  below,  and  of  which  you  may  conceive. 
You  are  not  confined  to  those  limited  things  which 
the  eye  sees,  the  ear  hears  and  the  body  feels,  and 
the  mind  may  conceive  by  its  experience  in  these 
things. 

"This,  my  children,  is  the  'Submissive  Life'  we 
bid  you  enter,  that  as  the  child  of  earth  submits  to 
grapple  with  the  things  of  this  world  and  reigns 
over  them  as  his  ability  permits  him,  thus  you  sub- 
mit also  to  work  with  all  there  is,  seen  and  unseen, 
and  revealed  by  God  and  His  Holy  Angels." 


CHAPTER  X 

THE  GOD  OF   THE  EEVELATIOSTS 

The  great  and  final  regeneration  of  humanity,  as 
given  forth  in  the  Revelations,  will  be  brought  to  pass 
through  Spirits,  Angels,  the  Christ  and  God,  all  in 
accordance  with  Jehovah's  great  and  divine  plan. 

These  Holy  Ones  will  work  through  instruments 
on  earth,  men  who  have  shown  willingness  to  obey 
and  act  upon  God's  or  Christ's  commands.  Christ 
we  know  and  love.  His  Angels  we  understand  as 
being  redeemed,  hence  Christlike  Spirits.  But  God 
and  Jehovah,  who  are  they,  may  we  ask  in  all  rever- 
ence? For  every  human  soul  seems  to  have  a  God 
of  its  own  creation,  a  greater  or  lesser  God  according 
to  that  soul's  individual  idea  of  the  All-Goodness, 
All-Love,  All-Power ;  in  fact,  a  God  limited  to  those 
personally  created  ideals,  be  they  low  or  transcen- 
dent! 

In  my  youth,  some  eighty  years  ago,  the  God  we 
were  bid  to  adore  was  a  magnificent  being,  all  covered 
with  jewels,  sitting  in  awful  majesty  upon  a  golden 
throne,  at  whose  feet  we  were  ordered  to  prostrate 
ourselves  in  most  abject  submission.  The  priest  gave 
us  stringent  rules  and  religious  duties  to  follow,  an 

108 


The  Submissive  Life  10D 

infringement  of  which  would  cause  us  to  be  cast 
into  the  flames  of  Hell,  there  to  burn  eternally  and 
without  ever  being  consumed — devils  pouring  inces- 
sant quantities  of  oil  on  the  flames — suffering  every 
instant  unimaginable  agonies. 

At  that  epoch,  perhaps,  the  ignorant  classes  needed 
to  be  frightened  into  doing  good  or  to  be  kept  from 
doing  evil  things.  Later  on,  more  learning  appeared 
among  the  people,  bringing  earnest  apostles  to  the 
front,  denying  God  as  being  capable  of  inflicting 
these  cruelties.  Their  blood  shed  in  martyrdom,  al- 
though it  did  not  extinguish  these  lurid  flames,  even 
after  centuries,  yet  reduced  them  to  the  size  of  a 
goodly  camp-fire.  Around  these  smoking  embers  a 
number  of  now  vast  disappearing  devotees  warm  yet 
their  timid  consciences. 

To-day,  the  belief  of  a  vast  majority  of  people, 
more  or  less  religious,  is  condensed  in  this  formula: 
"God  is  the  creator  of  all  things.  Realize  that  He  is 
All-Goodness,  that  He  is  Health,  that  He  is  All- 
Happiness;  serve  Him  with  devotion  and  all  these 
things  will  be  given  unto  you.  Thus  shall  you  all 
be  saved.  If  you  disobey  Him,  terrible,  if  not  eternal 
punishment,  will  follow."  This  is  an  easy-going  re- 
ligion. 

There  exists,  however,  at  present  a  vast  number 
of  people  in  all  countries,  more  or  less  learned 
people,  who  entertain  a  belief  in  a  grander,  nobler 
God;  a  God  of  love,  full  of  sympathy  for  His  chil- 


110  The  Submissive  Life 

dren,  who  heals  their  sickness,  grants  their  prayers 
for  material  things  as  well  as  for  their  spiritual  en- 
lightenment; a  God  who  loves  songs  of  praise  and 
words  acknowledging  His  Omniscience  and  Omni- 
potence; and  this  God  really  heals  His  children  and 
answers  many  prayers. 

OAHSPE,  that  extraordinary  book,  called  by 
some  enthusiasts  The  New  Bible,  states  that  JE- 
HOVIH  alone  is  the  absolute,  limitless,  eternal  Per- 
fection; perfection  never  to  be  attained  by  man,  no 
matter  at  what  ratio,  nor  through  how  many  aeons 
of  ages  his  spiritual  progress  may  have  steadily 
grown.  This  "Jehovih"  is  the  Omnipotent  Master 
Mind,  or  Spirit,  out  of  whom  creation  has  evolved 
with  all  the  unbounded  manifestations  of  this  glor- 
ious universe,  suns,  stars,  galaxies,  planets,  comets, 
nebulae,  and  all  life  existing  upon  these. 

" Jehovih,"  in  the  administration  of  His  vast  Uni- 
yercaslum,  has  placed  Gods  over  these  suns,  stars, 
planets,  etc.,  and  to  them  He  has  entrusted  the  di- 
rection of  these  creations,  appointing  an  individual 
God  over  each  heavenly  body. 

According  to  this  so-called  sacred  book,  Oahspe, 
our  earth  is  ruled  by  one  of  those  Gods  appointed  by 
"Jehovih,"  to  direct  its  destinies  under  the  guidance, 
however,  of  Himself,  of  His  divine  Will — "Jehovih" 
alone  is  supreme.  The  Gods,  our  God,  are  only 
secondary  deities  ruling  under  "Jehovih's"  Omnis- 
cient and  Omnipotent  command. 


The  Submissive  Life  111 

In  the  Revelations  given  through  our  young  Proph- 
et, God  anl  Jehovah  seem  to  be  the  same  one  Al- 
mighty Person,  and  He  appears  to  possess  attributes 
different  from  the  other  Gods.  He  is  more  active. 
He  looks  after  his  children.  He  is  more  in  sympathy 
with  humanity,  with  its  needs,  its  sufferings.  He 
seems  to  be  the  All-God,  the  All-Love,  the  All- 
Power,  and  also  the  All-Practical.  He  rests  not  con- 
tent with  residing  in  the  skies  on  a  Golden  Throne, 
requiring  the  children  of  Earth  to  prostrate  in  the 
dust  before  Him.  No!  Jehovah,  or  God,  of  the 
Revelations,  emphasizes  His  desire  to  see  "His  Earth 
a  happy  Earth  and  a  prosperous  Earth."  He  watches 
over  His  children,  and  through  the  influence  Christ 
and  His  Angels  may  exert  upon  the  "faithful  ser- 
vants." He  lovingly  guides  their  actions  upon  Earth, 
if  they  are  willing  to  receive.  He  admonishes  them 
through  calamities  and  other  ills,  when  they  are 
straying  from  the  true  path,  for  He  may  never  di- 
rectly interfere  with  the  free  will  of  His  children, 
this  being  forbidden  by  the  Supreme  Law.  Thus,  if 
they  become  guilty  of  some  continued  and  willful 
transgression  of  the  moral  law,  He  may  not  permit 
Himself  to  prevent  the  consequences  of  this  willful 
transgression,  to  visit  upon  His  children  misfor- 
tunes or  calamities,  for  these  trials  are  always  warn- 
ings from  Heaven  that  they  are  drifting  away  from 
the  heart  of  their  loving  Father. 


112  The  Submissive  Life 

Yes !  the  God  of  the  Eevelations  is  indeed  a  Great 
God! 

May  we  now  be  permitted  to  ask,  in  all  humility, 
what  is  this  "Submissive  Life"  Jehovah  bids  man 
to  enter  ? 

Firstly,  let  us  look  briefly  at  life  in  general  upon 
earth.  Undoubtedly  all  life,  rocks,  plants  and  ani- 
mals live  the  "Submissive  Life."  They  have  no 
choice.  They  are  directed  in  all  their  actions  by  the 
influences  of  nature  that  surrounds  them,  and  nature 
being  itself  created  by  God  is  directly  influenced  in 
its  activities  and  evolution  by  His  Supreme  Will. 

The  mineral  world,  in  its  secular  sleep,  obeys  God, 
whose  Immanence  is  reflected  in  its  deep,  mysterious 
dreamings.  Plants  grow,  bloom,  bear  fruit,  and 
these  different  stages  of  their  existence  are  proceed- 
ing in  harmony  with  God's  Laws  and  plan,  as  mani- 
fested in  the  secret  urgings  of  His  ever-presence ; 
hence,  they  fulfill  their  destiny  in  happiness,  thus 
contributing  their  quota  to  make  "God's  Earth  a 
happy  Earth,"  and,  moreover,  a  beautiful  earth. 
They  live  the  "Submissive  Life." 

The  animal  has  more  prerogatives  than  the  plant. 
It  moves  about  as  it  wills,  and  where  man  has  not 
enslaved  it,  it  lives  in  obedience  to  the  promptings 
of  the  inner  Divine  influx ;  hence,  lives  the  "Submis- 
sive Life."  Through  its  merry  gambols  when  at  lib- 
erty, and  the  joyful  songs  of  the  birds,  many  whose 
plumage  reflects  the  brilliant  colors  of  the  prism ;  all 


The  Submissive  Life  113 

these  testify  that  they  also  play  their  part  well  in 
aiding  to  make  "God's  Earth  a  happy  Earth." 

And  now  we  come  to  man — to  poor  man!  He 
alone  may  or  may  not  live  the  "Submissive  Life." 
God  made  man  a  free  agent,  conferred  upon  him  a 
special  privilege;  liberty  of  action.  To  give  a  field 
to  that  liberty  of  action,  to  enable  him  to  choose 
rightly  the  road  that  would  lead  to  happiness,  He 
gave  man  a  physical  organism  crowned  by  a  brain 
developed  far  above  the  brain  of  the  animal ;  a  brain 
able  to  give  sound  judgment.  This  judgment  was 
intended  to  lead  man  to  decide  rightly,  when,  in  his 
liberty  of  choice,  he  would  be  confronted  by  two  dif- 
ferent ways,  each  calling  for  his  decision  upon  some 
important  action  in  life.  These  two  ways  acted  upon 
man,  each  with  its  own  particular  influence,  demand- 
ing judgment  in  their  favor.  The  first  influence 
came  from  his  conscience,  the  urging  of  the  Spiritual 
Ions  within  him,  or  the  Immanence  of  the  Divine 
Principle.  The  second  influence  is  derived  from  the 
intellect,  and  often  pleads  for  the  victory  of  ma- 
terial things. 

When  these  two  dissimilar  influences  do  not  point 
to  the  same  conclusion,  man  being  a  free  agent,  he 
must  exercise  his  choice  between  those  contending 
forces;  one,  the  force  of  conscience,  in  accordance 
with  and  leading  to  the  "Submissive  Life" ;  the  other 
the  force  of  the  intellect,  leading  to-day  to  the  ma- 
terial, the  selfish  life. 


ffl?  The  Submissive  Life 

The  brain  of  man  has  been  endowed  by  God  with 
infinite  possibilities  of  development;  hence,  the  con- 
stant, and  strenuous,  and  egotistical  efforts  of  the 
intellect  to  rule  over  man;  yea,  to  dominate  or 
obliterate  his  conscience,  and  thus  establish  a  ma- 
terial Empire  over  which  it  would  rule  supreme. 

During  the  relentless  efforts  of  the  intellect  to 
establish  this  Empire,  where  egotistical  possessions 
and  material  enjoyment  would  have  full  and  un- 
limited sway,  man's  conscience,  or  the  urging  of  the 
Spiritual  Ions,  or  God's  Immanence  in  him,  have  not 
remained  inactive;  they  have  equally  carried  on  a 
battle  for  recognition. 

The  intellect  of  man,  being  also  a  creation  of  the 
Almighty,  is  naturally  the  bearer  of  good,  sound  and 
rational  elements  for  just  and  unbiased  judgment. 
To  the  pure  in  heart  the  intellect  gives  unequivocal 
decisions  in  obedience  to  the  dictates  of  the  moral 
Law  of  the  Spiritual  Law;  hence,  according  to  the 
promptings  of  Conscience. 

The  strenuous  battle  of  the  future  lies  between 
brain  forces,  and  the  silent  but  potent  urgings  of  the 
forces  of  the  Soul.  Upon  the  victory  of  either  one 
of  these  forces  hangs  the  fate  of  humanity  upon 
earth.  It  is,  however,  revealed,  and  it  is  consoling 
that  it  be  so,  these  two  forces,  after  endless  suffering 
through  calamities  brought  upon  themselves  through 
the  self-will  and  egotistical  achievements  of  deluded 
intellect,  will  one  day  realize  that  both  Intellect  and 


The  Submissive  Life  115 

Conscience  are  twin  children  of  the  Almighty  Father. 
They  will  thenceforth  unite  in  the  bringing  to  pass 
of  the  New  Empire  predicted  by  Jehovah. 

Up  to  the  present  day,  however,  the  selfish  forces 
in  man  have  proven  victorious.  God's  given  intellect 
has  been  prostituted  to  most  egotistical,  often  de- 
grading, ends. 

Let  us  consider  for  one  moment  in  what  manner 
this  sad  state  of  affairs  has  been  brought  to  pass? 
What  have  been  the  influences,  may  we  ask,  that  have 
culminated  in  making  a  slave  of  every  inhabitant  of 
this  Earth ;  a  hard  working  slave  at  that  ?  What  do 
the  Revelations  indicate? 

The  lower  and  middle  classes  are  slaving  without 
respite ;  the  majority  to  keep  body  and  soul  together, 
the  other,  or  more  favored  middle  class,  while  they 
have  pretty  well  succeeded  in  having  control  over  the 
first  necessities  of  life,  continually  and  earnestly 
slave  to  accumulate  a  competence  for  old  age.  How- 
ever, this  slavery  is  not  without  its  satisfaction — 
exclusively  material  satisfaction,  it  is  true. 

The  higher  classes,  the  rich,  are  slaving  to  keep 
their  possessions  intact,  or  to  ever  increase  their 
value;  they  are  condemned  to  be  constantly  alert 
lest  the  stock  exchange  betray  them,  or  thieves  of 
every  ilk  rob  them  of  their  wealth.  The  other  part 
of  the  higher  and  rich  classes  are  slaves ;  yea,  worth- 
less slaves  to  the  often  ignoble  and  heartless  exac- 
tions of  fashionable  society,  living  in  luxuries  pleas- 


116  The  Submissive  Life 

ing  to  the  body,  it  is  true,  but  suicidal  to  the  souL 
[Neither  of  these  classes  are  conscious  of  the  exist- 
ence of  the  "Submissive  Life,"  hence  ignorant  of  its 
Divine  calls. 

The  animals,  that  are  enslaved  by  man,  are  no 
longer  free  to  listen  to  the  silent  urgings  of  their 
nature.  In  losing  their  liberty  they  had  to  obey  the 
voice  of  the  master  who  ravished  them  of  that  lib- 
erty, be  that  voice  gentle  or  cruel. 

Man  being  a  slave,  as  we  have  shown  above,  has 
also  lost  his  original  or  nature-given  liberty;  hence 
may  he  seldom  listen,  and  more  seldom  yet  conform 
to,  the  beckoning  of  the  small  voice  within.  He  also 
must  obey  his  master:  the  stern  conditions  of  the 
world  around  him,  and  this  master  is  most  exacting. 
If  man  disobeys  and  feels  inclined  to  listen  to  the 
voice  within,  hardships  are  sure  to  overwhelm  him 
at  no  distant  day.  FIGHT,  FIGHT,  and  STILL 
FIGHT  is  the  inexorable  command  of  the  world  to- 
day to  the  children  of  man! 

But  how  did  man  become  such  a  slave?  What 
were  the  forces  that  led  him  to  such  conditions  ?  Did 
he  become  so  through  his  own  free  will  and  accord? 
Was  he  naturally  idiotic  or  depraved,  or  was  he  sur- 
rounded by  such  circumstances  that  he  had  no  choice 
but  to  be  a  slave?    Let  us  see. 

The  origin  of  this  evil  lies  in  prehistoric  times. 
First  among  the  wild  tribes  of  earth,  later  among 
the  less  savage  communities,  was  always  to  be  found 


The  Submissive  Life  117 

what  Eoosevelt  would  call  a  "Bully,"  a  master  of 
brute  force,  who  would  compel  to  obedience  the  en- 
tire tribe,  and  cause  its  members  to  slave  for  him. 
From  this,  as  a  starting  point,  and  through  the  entire 
era  of  tribal  existence,  through  the  dawn  of  many 
weird  or  incipient  civilizations,  through  the  untold 
warrior  hordes  of  multiple  principalities,  led  by 
hard-headed,  plundering  autocrats  of  the  Middle 
'Ages,  slavery  has  always  existed  in  a  darker  or  milder 
form,  according  to  the  greater  or  lesser  abject  sub- 
mission in  which  the  people  consented,  or  were  forced 
to  live. 

And  thus,  passing  through  these  different  phases, 
slavery  has  reached  us;  slavery  of  the  free  man,  if 
you  will,  but  slavery  out  of  which  he  feels  unable  to 
extricate  himself;  slavery  ever  tightening  its  iron 
bands,  equally  around  the  poor,  the  middle  classes, 
and  the  rich.  This  condition  of  slavery,  be  it  dark, 
bright  or  golden,  is  antagonistic  to  the  "Submissive 
Life" ;  this  life  being  a  life  of  unselfishness,  of  love, 
of  brotherhood,  and  a  Godly  life — indeed,  the  only 
true  life. 

Contemplating  this  sad  state  of  affairs,  seeing  the 
unhappiness  of  all  His  children  on  Earth,  realizing 
the  powerlessness  of  these  children  to  ever  regain 
their  liberty,  as  nature  has  intended  they  should  en- 
joy, liberty  essential  to  their  being  able  to  lead  the 
"Submissive  Life,"  the  life  He  had  intended  they 
should  live,  "the  happy  and  prosperous  life,"  Je- 


118  The  Submissive  Life 

hovah  has  seen  the  necessity  of  a  complete  change  in 
the  order  of  things.  Hence,  His  decision  not  to  in- 
terfere with  the  calamities  now  approaching;  cala- 
mities of  such  magnitude  as  will  upset  completely 
the  conditions  of  all  life  in  the  entire  civilized  world. 

And  why,  may  we  ask  in  all  reverence,  should 
Jehovah  bid  us  enter  the  "Submissive  Life"  at  this 
epoch,  when,  according  to  His  own  testimony,  all 
conditions  on  earth  are  entirely  opposed  to  the  suc- 
cess of  such  spiritual  life? 

Jehovah  makes  appeal  only  to  those  human  ele- 
ments on  earth  as  may  become  willing  servants  in 
His  hand.  These  servants  will  enable  Him  and  His 
Angels,  by  their  absolute  submission  and  obedience 
to  His  Will,  to  work  upon  and  influence  humanity 
through  them.  His  way  of  action  has  already  been 
elucidated  in  these  pages.  Jehovah  desires  to  find 
many  willing  instruments  and  organize  them  into 
powerful  congregations  of  obedient  batteries.  The 
activity  of  these  servants  or  instruments  He  will 
direct  to  become  leaders  of  events;  may  these  events 
be  calamities  or  spiritual  waves  of  a  high  potential. 
He  will  guide  them  all  unto  the  fulfillment  of  Je- 
hovah's Mighty  Plans! 


CHAPTER  XI 


CONCLUSIONS 


The  human  mind  will  never  stop  questioning  in 
regard  to  the  ultimate  destiny  of  man.  He  desires, 
naturally  enough,  a  rational  elucidation  of  these 
questions,  especially  when  they  relate  to  the  Spirit- 
ual, ever  so  mysterious  to  him. 

This  "Submissive  Life"  we  are  bid  to  enter,  the 
Revelations  of  the  young  Prophet  emphatically  de- 
clare, is  a  life  of  entire  willingness  to  give  up  our 
own  wills  to  the  Will  of  God ;  that  a  state  of  mind 
of  entire  passiveness  is  necessary,  to  permit  God  and 
His  Angels  to  enter  the  human  organism  and  make 
plain  their  suggestion  or  will  or  command  to  man. 

This  is  perhaps  a  little  puzzling  to  the  man  of 
intellect.  To  become  a  faithful  servant  of  God  is  it 
then  necessary  that  we  give  up  all  our  intellectual 
acquisitions,  gathered  during  a  lifelong  study  of  all 
things  belonging  to  the  most  important  phases  of  life  ? 
Have  we  studied  in  vain  the  sciences  of  nature,  the 
many  so  interesting  revelations  of  the  telescope, 
carrying  our  minds  unto  the  unfathomable  depths  of 
infinite  space?  Must  we  forget  those  dear  friends 
we  learned  to  love,  scattered  through  the  immensi- 

119 


120      ♦  The  Submissive  Life 

ties  of  the  great  Void — suns,  stars,  nebulae,  comets 
forming  into  new  worlds,  old  worlds  running  rapidly 
toward  death,  stellar  galaxies  of  blinding  brilliancy, 
dark  stars  of  mysterious  destinies,  the  myriads  of 
worlds  in  all  conditions  or  states  of  formation  illu- 
minating the  Milky  Way?  And  shall  we  abandon 
our  friend  Jupiter  in  his  actual,  stupendous  tragedy 
as  he  writhes  in  the  agonizing  birth-throes  of  his 
first  continent? 

Shall  we  lay  aside  our  dear  microscope,  our  so 
devoted  friend,  leading  us  daily  into  the  world  of  the 
Infinitesimal,  showing  us  in  its  infinitude,  as  well  as 
the  telescope,  our  other  giant  friend,  shows  us  in 
the  unbounded  magnitude  of  eternal  space,  a  pleni- 
tude of,  as  yet,  mysterious  organisms,  all  of  them, 
however,  proving  through  their  life  activities  inces- 
santly evolving  in  complete  harmony  with  some 
awful  transcendent  law,  the  existence,  somewhere, 
of  a  Law  Maker  of  unimaginable  power,  perfection, 
and  tenderness? 

NO!  NO!  A  gigantic  NO!  This  great  and 
awful  Law  Maker,  with  the  tender  and  loving  heart, 
causing  all  creations  to  live  and  develop  in  harmony, 
have  given  the  intellect  to  His  human  children  to 
help  them  not  only  to  find  the  Way  unto  Him 
through  the  study  of  His  creations  in  His  beautiful 
universe,  but  also  to  enable  them  to  beget  devices 
and  means  intended  to  help  them,  making  their  lives 
happy  through  the  lessening  of  compulsory  and  irk- 


The  Submissive  Life  121 

some  toil.  Thus  may  they  become  contributors,  co- 
workers with  God's  plans  to  make  His  "Earth  a 
happy  Earth  and  a  prosperous  Earth." 

In  a  message  of  September  18th,  1911,  it  was  re- 
vealed through  the  young  Prophet: 

"We  are  not  satisfied  that  you  should  remain  con- 
tent with  either  the  invention  that  is  or  that  can  be 
possible  as  man  now  stands.  It  is  because  man  has 
already  reached  his  highest  standard  in  these  things 
that  we  ask  him  that  he  give  up  and  deal  gently  with 
his  brethren.  Jehovah  may  then  inspire  him  with 
even  greater  things.  But  Jehovah  refuses  to  grant 
this  to  the  children  of  men  while  they  yet  remain 
selfish. 

"He  repeats  that  He  wishes  'His  Earth  to  be  a 
happy  Earth  and  a  prosperous  Earth,'  and  to  pos- 
sess such  material  devices  as  will  glorify  God  Al- 
mighty! He  is  not  satisfied  with  the  selfish  stand- 
point you  have  assumed.  He  prefers  rather  to  create 
a  new  future,  a  new  Heaven  and  a  new  Earth." 

It  is  made  plain  to  us,  that  God,  or  Jehovah,  does 
not  intend  to  make  obedient  slaves  of  those  servants 
willing  to  lead  the  "Submissive  Life."  It  appears 
rather  as  if  He  were  only  waiting  for  the  willing  ac- 
ceptance of  His  children  to  inspire  them  toward  the 
accomplishment  of  greater  intellectual  achievements 
through  a  mental  expansion  of  greater  magnitude. 
It  is  certainly  reasonable  to  suppose  that  if  God 
wishes  to  bring  His  children  nearer  to  Him,  nearer 


122  The  Submissive  Life 

to  His  loving  heart,  He  should  encourage  them  to 
gain  ever  an  enlarging  comprehension  of  His  wonder- 
ful works.  Thus  would  they  slowly  grow  to  realize 
His  divine  attributes,  His  Omniscience,  His  Omni- 
potence, His  Omniperfection,  His  Omnilove.  Fur- 
thermore, when  these  children  of  earth  shall  have 
made  their  final  ascension  unto  Him  and  have  at- 
tained their  complete  redemption,  then  will  they 
also  become  Jehovah's  Angel  Messengers  unto  the 
earth,  and  accomplish  their  heavenly  mission  readily 
and  in  full  understanding. 

Moreover,  the  Eevelations  already  quoted  give 
promise  to  those  living  the  "Submissive  Life,"  stat- 
ing: "We  refine  your  bodies,  we  intensify  your  in- 
tellect, and  we  broaden  your  sight  ...  so  you  may 
enjoy  all  there  is  above  and  below  .  .  .  and  you 
work  with  all  there  is,  seen  or  unseen  .  .  .  Our  en- 
lightenment is  not  alone  in  our  words  .  .  .  but  it 
is  in  the  way  by  which  we  guide  your  acts  that  your 
lives  may  drift  into  the  channels  of  the  great  Je- 
hovah's Almighty  Plans." 

This  is  surely  a  note  of  the  most  sublime  optimism. 
It  is  well  worthy  of  most  earnest  consideration. 

The  "Submissive  Life,"  judging  from  ail  that  has 
been  revealed,  and  most  seriously  considered  and 
analyzed,  seems  to  be  a  highly  moral,  intellectual, 
Spiritual,  eternally  progressive  life,  a  life  whose 
activities  are  ever  inspired  and  guided  by  God  and 
His  beckoning  Angels.     These  Divine  entities  will 


The  Submissive  Life  123 

ever  walk  side  by  side  with  the  Servants  of  God. 
The  lives  of  these  faithful  servants  will  henceforth 
be  a  non-interrupted  chant  of  love,  a  never-ceasing 
hymn  of  joyfulness,  a  perpetual  soul-stirring  Gloria 
in  Excelsis,  resounding  in  thunderous  tones  of  glad- 
ness through  all  the  realms  of  Heaven  and  of  Earth. 

And  now,  dear  reader,  after  perusal  of  the  Revela- 
tions given  through  the  young  Prophet,  you  are  en- 
abled to  draw  your  own  conclusions  as  to  their  merit 
and  their  reasonableness.  As  for  myself,  personally, 
I  will  state  my  conviction  in  all  frankness.  Con- 
sidering the  spirit  of  the  Revelations,  I  find  that  a 
sound  and  rational  common-sense  runs  through  them 
all.  Their  philosophy  is  of  the  highest  humanitarian 
and  spiritual  standard.  The  remedy  as  promised  by 
the  Higher  Powers  to  bring  into  their  natural  chan- 
nel the  conditions  so  unjust,  under  which  all  men 
on  earth  are  actually  laboring,  and  to  eradicate 
thereby  the  immense  suffering  caused  by  these  nat- 
ural conditions,  this  remedy  alone,  in  our  judg- 
ment, can  heal  the  deep  social  wounds,  and  that  heal- 
ing can  only  be  accomplished  by  a  complete,  hard 
and  painful  cauterization. 

The  Servants  of  God  living  the  "Submissive  Life" 
are  the  only  possible  instruments  through  whom  the 
Angel  World  can  reach  man,  and  through  him  alone 
may  they  apply  the  final  remedy,  for  spiritual  science 
has  its  inexorable  law  as  well  as  the  science  of  earth, 
and  both  must  obey  their  "dictum,"  for  it  is  re- 


124;  The  Submissive  Life 

vealed:  "As  it  is  above  so  it  is  below.  As  it  is  in 
Heaven  so  is  it  on  Earth." 

Now,  concerning  the  young  Prophet,  his  personal- 
ity and  his  gifts,  I  will  say  in  all  truth  that  instead 
of  being  obliged  to  modify  my  high  opinion  of  him, 
as  previously  expressed,  my  appreciation  of  his 
worthiness,  as  God's  instrument,  has  been  consider- 
ably augmented  since  I  have  seen  more  of  him  and 
have  been  in  close  contact  with  him  during  the  ten 
consecutive  days  I  have  had  him  with  me  recently 
as  my  personal  guest. 

Will  the  young  Prophet  never  falter?  Jehovah 
has  declared :  "I  hold  no  man  in  bondage.  We  des- 
troy no  man's  individuality;  we  use  man  as  a  tool." 
In  the  message  of  September  14,  1911,  it  is  declared : 
"See  ye,  then,  that  only  your  complete  submis- 
sion and  obedience  is  necessary,  and  any  who  would 
submit  and  obey  likewise  would  do  as  well — and  if 
ye  should  rebel  or  fail  us,  others  would  be  found." 
This  indicates  that  all  children  of  earth  may  become 
Servants  of  God,  if  they  are  willing  and  worthy.  It 
is  certainly  very  consoling,  and  especially  encourag- 
ing, for  this  principle  is  in  harmony  with  the  eternal 
divine  Justice  of  Heaven. 

In  conclusion,  may  I  be  permitted  to  state  that 
in  all  my  dealings  and  interviews  with  the  young 
Prophet,  I  have  never,  for  one  moment,  forgotten 
that  I  am  an  Engineer ;  that  in  my  entire  life  I  have 
exclusively  dealt  with  hard-headed  construction  ma- 


mi 


w% 


The  Submissive  Life  125 

terials,  such  as  stone,  iron,  steel,  etc.  These  brute 
elements  are  certainly  devoid  of  any  kind  of  imagin- 
ation or  sentimentality.  Illusion  or  "Keverie,"  how- 
ever poetical  or  transcendent,  will  never  possess 
magical  power  sufficient  to  lift  them  off  their  feet. 
In  the  study  of  the  laws  under  which  the  strength 
and  usefulness  of  these  unemotional  materials  can 
and  must  be  applied,  I  have  spent  the  greater  part 
of  my  life.  It  may,  then,  easily  be  surmised  how 
strange  the  things  related  in  this  book  appeared  to 
me,  and  how  serious  at  times  became  the  battle 
fought  between  the  intellect  and  the  Prophet's  Eeve- 
lations. 

However,  no  matter  how  strange  and  incredible 
things  to  be  published  in  a  book  like  this  may  appear 
or  be,  a  writer  who  thinks  he  has  something  to  say 
worthy  of  attention  should  not  shrink  before  any  ex- 
pected criticism  or  ridicule,  however  uncharitable  and 
biting  these  might  possibly  be.  He  should  manly 
hold  fast  to  that  which  in  the  very  depth  of  his  heart 
and  soul  he  thinks  is  true. 

SO  MOTE  IT  BE! 


On  the  Heights  of 
Himilay 

By  A.  VAN  DER  NAILLEN  i2mo,  Cloth,  Illustrated,  $i.2$ 

THE  author  of  this  book,  who  is  well  known  both  as  an  educator  and  a 
scientist,  has  been  a  resident  of  this  city  for  over  thirty  years,  and  during 
that  time  has  won  mpre  than  local  renown  as  an  investigator  and  elucidator 
of  abstruse  scientific  proMerhs,  and  also  world-wide"  recognition  as  an  enthusiastic, 
ardent  and  conscientious  student  of  those  mysterious  forces,  the  manifestation  of 
and  belief  in  which  are  covered  by  the  generic  name  of  "Occultism." 

Professor  Van  der  Naillen  has  written  several  books  on  this  always  interesting 
subject,  each  of  which  has  been  appreciatively  received  both  in  this  country  and 
in  Europe.  "On  the  Heights  of  Himalay,"  now  in  hand,  has  already  reached 
the  sixth  edition  in  English,  and  the  demand  for  foreign  translations  keeps  pace 
with  its  popularity  in  America  and  England. 

This  book  is  written  in  narrative  form,  a  study  of  love,  renunciation  and  spiritual 
triumph  forming  its  thread  of  plot,  buf  its  motive  is   to  give   the  reader   tangible 
ideas  of  Oriental  mysticisms,  and  of  the  subtle  forces  of  nature  and  the  possibilities 
that  are  in  the  power,  of  those  who  learn  rightly  to  control  them  and  themselves. 
~-San  Francisco  Examiner, 

In  the  Sanctuary 

By  A.  VAN  DER  NAILLEN  i2mot  Cloth,  Illustrated,  $1.25 

THE  work  appeals  to  seekers  after  light  in  theosophic  thought.  It  is 
written  in  exceptionally  expressive  English,  and  the  impressions  of  occult- 
ism are  so  clearly  conveyed  as  to  give  the  lay  reader  a  tangible  idea  of 
Oriental  mysticism  and  the  subtle  forces  of  nature  so  difficult  to  understand 
from  ordinary  texts  on  the  subject. 

Balthazar  the  Magus 

By  A.  VAN  DER  NAILLEN  i2mo,  Cloth,  Illustrated,  $i.jo 

THIS  is  the  third  volume  of  a  series  from  the  pen  of  A.  Van  der  Naillen, 
dealing  with  certain  principles  not  generally  understood,  but  looking  toward 
the  unifying  of  the  highest  religion  and  the  highest  science.     The  other 
volumes  preceding  this  were,  respectively,  'On  the  Heights  of  Himalay* 
and  'In  the  Sanctuary.' 
*  'In  the  latter  the  life  of  hero,  Marins,  was  followed  to  the  attainment  of  a 
degree  of  knowledge  that  gave  him  the  highest  degree  in  the  Order  of  the  Magi, 
that  of  Magus.      In   the  present  story  his  work   in   the  uplifting  of  his  fellow 
mortals  by  teaching  them  how  to  obtain  the  same  advancement  is  described.     Be- 
side himself,  the  two  principal  characters  are  a  young  priest  of  the  Roman  Catholic 
church,  and  a  beautiful  woman,  grown  weary  of  society,  both  of  whom   seek  him 
to  be  shown  the  way  to  the  higher  life.    The  two  meet,  learn  to  love  each  other, 
but  are  convinced  by  the  Magus  that  their  path  of  duty  lies  in  the  renunciation  of 
what  seems  to  be  necessary  to  their  happiness.     This  is  the  key  to  the  story,  the 
Utter  being  really  only  the  form  taken  to  present  a  philosophy  of  the  higher  life.'* 


THE  WONDERS  OF  LIFE 

By  Ida  Lyon. 

Cloth,  236  pages,  Price  $1.00. 

5j£ERE  is  another  new  book,  just  published,  that  aims  to 
411  teach  people  how  to  live,  how  to  meet  the  conditions 
**f  of  their  environment,  how  to  rise  out  of  the  conditions 
which   surround   them   into   better   ones. 

It  gives  a  clear  and  liberal  definition  of  the  meaning  of 
life.  It  outlines  the  conditions  for  "A  happy  consciousness." 
It  teaches  that  a  normal,  healthy  and  sane  use  of  all  our 
faculties  is  necessary  to  health.  It  teaches  that  the  law  of 
progression  forces  us  to  grow;  that  to  stand  still  is  death; 
that  happiness  comes  through  aligning  ourselves  with  the 
law   of  growth. 


THE  DIMENSIONAL  IDEA 

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'TJCH  has  been  said  and  written  in  recent  years  of  the 
fourth  dimension.  But  this  book  presents  a  new  idea 
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dimension  may  be  an  aid  to  religion.  The  claim  is  made 
that  miracles  may  be  explained  as  "Natural  operations"  in 
fourth  dimensional  space;  and  plausible  arguments  are  given 
for  the  existence  of  a  fifth,  a  sixth,  and  a  seventh  dimension, 
with  still  higher  dimensions  as  possibilities.  The  book  will 
open  new  avenues  of  thought,  and  as  such  will  both  enlarge 
and  enrich  the  mind.  The  contents  are  as  follows: 
Thought  and  Language,  Knowledge,  The  Dimensional  Idea, 
Our  Psychic   Evolution,   Truth   and   Religion,    Conclusion. 


MENTAL  AND  SPIRITUAL  HEALTH 

By  A.  T.  Schofield,  M.  D. 

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<*jfHIS  volume  contains  three  addresses  entitled  yesterday, 
llL  to-day,  and  forever,  given  by  Dr.  Schofield  in  London 
^^  a  short  time  ago.  They  attempt  to  show  the  happiness 
and  health  that  will  result  from  the  internal  harmony  pro- 
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author  says,  "They  are  published  in  the  hope  that  they  may 
prove  a  source  of  mental  and  spiritual  health  to  the  reader 
for  health,   wholeness  and  holiness  are  one." 


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UNIVERSAL    SPIRITUALISM 

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who  are  better  equipped  to  speak,  or  write,  authoratively, 
than  is  Mr.  Colville.  One  has  but  to  read  this  work  to 
realize  how  well  informed  the  author  is  on  this  subject. 
There  has  been  a  current  belief  in  a  continuity  of  life  run- 
ning like  a  thread  throughout  the  religions  and  philosophies 
of  the  ages.  And  Mr.  Colville  has  reached  back,  as  it  were, 
into  the  mass  of  conflicting  ideas  and  picked  out  this 
thread;  and  with  keen  analysis  of  the  situation  has  fol- 
lowed the  thread  through  ages,  climes  and  epochs,  down  to 
the  present  time.     And  it  is   excellently  done. 

Cloth,  $1.00  net. 


ANCIENT  MYSTERIES   AND   MODERN 
REVELATIONS 

By  W.  J.  Colville. 

Is  the  gist  of  lectures  delivered  by  the  author,  in  Washing- 
ton, D.  C,  in  the  winter  of  1909-10.  A  frontispiece  well 
shows  the  very  spiritual  features  and  phenomenally  large 
top-head  of  the  author,  both  which  characteristics,  to- 
gether with  the  very  great  spirituality  of  the  man,  have  set 
not  a  few  wondering  as  to  the  identity  of  this  wonderful 
teacher  and  guide.  The  book  is  a  finished,  but  yet  a  virile 
work.  Every  thought  is  expressed  naturally  and  yet  per- 
fectly. The  style  is  the  finished  result  of  long  years  upon 
the  lecture  platform.  Among  the  subjects  considered  are, 
Bibles  under  modern  search-light;  the  strange  life  that  lived 
on  the  young  Earth;  Egypt  and  its  wonders;  Apollonius  of 
Tyana  (oft  said  to  have  been  the  real  Jesus  of  Nazareth); 
magic,  ancient  and  mediaeval;  Bible  symbolism;  significance 
of  color;  law  of  seven  and  of  unity;  the  Gnostics;  the  Divine 
Feminine;  and,  also,  history  and  portent  of  Halley's  comet. 
The  book  is  deeply  interesting.  It  will  no  doubt  find  a  great 
and  ever  increasing  sale. 


Cloth,  366  pp.  $1.00  net. 


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SIXTEENTH    EDITION 


Paths  to 
Power 


By  FLOYD  B.  WILSON 


CONTENTS 

One's  Atmosphere 
Growth 

A  Psychic  Law  in  Student  Work 
Unfoldment 

Power  :  How  to  Attain  It 
Harmony 

The  Assertion  of  the  I 

The  Tree  of  Knowledge — of  Good  and  ItH  • 
Conditions 
Faith 

Back  of  Vibration* 
Wasted  Energy 
Something  About  Genius 

Shakespeare :     How    He    Told    His    Secret    in    the 
"Dream"  and  the  "Tempest" 


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The  Discovery 
of  the  Soul 

By    FLOYD     B.    WILSON 


CONTENTS 

The  Discovery  of  the  Soul 

Trinity  of  Life 

Life  in  its  Fulness 

Man's  Magnet  of  Power — Optimism 

The  Dawn  of  Man's  Infancy 

What  is  Truth? 

Growth  Through  Knowledge  from  the 

Psychic  World 
Man — A  Soul  in  Evolution 
God 
The  New  Psychology  and  God 

12mo,  Cloth  -  -         $1,00,  Postpaid 

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TheMasteryofMind 

By  HENRY  FRANK 


' '  Is  the  work  of  an  interpreter  who  has  studied 
the  authorities  carefully,  and  has  written  a  book 
for  ordinary  folk  in  which  is  the  substance  of  a 
large  subject." — Leader,  Boston, 

"A  practical  presentation  of  the  entire  field  of 
psychology  and  thoroughly  up  to  date." — Call, 
San  Francisco, 

^F*       ^3^      *2r^ 

"It  teaches  the  inestimable  possibilities  for 
health,  wisdom  and  happiness  within  reach  of 
every  man  and  woman  who  will  learn  to  control 
the  mechanism  of  the  human  mind." — Times- 
Union,  Albany,  .  Yr.    Y. 


l2mo.  cloth,   250  pages,  $1.00 

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The  Shrine  of  Silence 

By  HENRY  FRANK 

12mo.  Cloth,  273  pages.         $1.00,  postpaid. 


This  is  a  book  of  Meditations  which  has  al- 
ready run  through  three  editions  and  has  proved 
a  blessing  to  thousands.  Some  call  it  their  new 
Bible ;  many  read  it  daily  for  strength  and  com- 
fort ;  schools,  churches  and  liberal  societies  have 
adopted  it  for  public  reading  and  study. 

John  Burroughs,  the  famous  Naturalist,  says  he 
"Discerns  in  it  the  unmistakable  evidence  of 
the  foot  prints  of  the  Spirit,"  and  Ella  Wheeler 
Wilcox  pronounces  it  "A  rare  and  most  beauti- 
ful work." 


The  Kingdom  of  Love 

By  HENRY  FRANK 

12mo.  Cloth,  245  pages.         $1.00,  postpaid. 


1 '  Perhaps  never  before  has  the  conception  of 
love  been  so  comprehensively  reviewed.  It  is 
studied  in  all  its  human  phases  no  less  than  as 
a  Cosmic  Principle  pervading  and  sustaining  the 
universe.  One  of  the  conspicuous  ideas  which 
runs  through  the  entire  work  is  that  of  the  Power 
of  Love  as  an  economic  force,  in  itself  sufficient 
to  solve  the  social  problems  of  mankind." — The 
"Publisher. 


R.  F.  FENNO  &  COMPANY 

18  EAST  17th  STREET,  NEW  YORK 


UNIVERSITY  OP  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 


THIS  BOOK  IS  DUE  ON  THE  LAST  DATE 
STAMPED  BELOW 


.  1949 


FEB    7W668* 
RECTD  t.D 

F©  5*66-*  A* 
JUL  15 1391      r 

31  *9l 


30m-6,'14 


,YB  27864 

"' Sifts  jd&nis 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 


